Golden Knights teammates come to Fleury's defense after shaky Game 1

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has played a key role in the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final, a fact not lost on his teammates.

Fleury wasn't nearly at his best Monday in Game 1, allowing four goals on 28 shots, but the Golden Knights emerged with a 6-4 victory over the Washington Capitals.

It's clear that Fleury has earned a pass from his teammates, who attributed the goals to mere misfortune.

"He still made big saves," Golden Knights forward James Neal said via Dan Rosen of NHL.com. "You can look at the ones he let in, the one that got stuck in his pad and he pushed in, and he'll be hard on himself, but we'll battle and do anything for him to get a win."

"I don't think he should be hard on himself at all," Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland added. "It's a tip, couple wide-open tap-ins. I think he shouldn't be hard on himself. We kind of hung him out to dry there on those ones. We just know we can be better for him for the next game."

For his part, Fleury was quick to credit his teammates for their contributions while admitting he demands perfection from himself.

"I just want to stop them all, right?" Fleury said. "It doesn't matter. You can score 10, you still don't want to give up any. That being said, it's fun to play for a team that never quits, that always has a chance to come back in the game."

Should the Golden Knights win the Cup, Fleury will likely be raising the Conn Smythe Trophy as the first goaltender to win the postseason MVP award since Los Angeles Kings star Jonathan Quick in 2012.

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