Marc-Andre Fleury “pissed off” after terrible Game 2

The good news for perhaps the most popular teammate in the National Hockey League today is that he's now appeared in his 17th straight postseason. The bad news was that it was a performance that he'll want to forget about immediately. 

The Minnesota Wild decided to start veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury between the pipes for last night's Game 2 of their Round 1 playoff series against the Dallas Stars, giving Filip Gustavsson the night off and a chance to stay fresh for Game 3. And needless to say, it wasn't his best outing.

By the time it was all said and done, seven pucks found their way past Fleury in what would eventually be a 7-3 loss, trying the series at 1-1 apiece after the Wild had stolen Game 1 in double overtime. And as he typically is, Fleury was his own worst critic afterward. 

"Embarrassing on my part, giving up seven goals like that in the playoffs," Fleury said, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.

I want to come in and give a chance to my team to stay in the game and win. That's not what I did. I gave up too many goals. I think we had to open up to try to come back in the game, and we gave up more chances, but bottom line, I didn't make any good, key saves in the game."

Fleury would finish the night with 24 saves on 31 shots, and admitted to being angry at himself at not being able to repeat Gustavsson's performance from Game 1. 

"He was tremendous, awesome that last game," Fleury said of his teammate. "I just wanted to do my part and my job tonight ... and I didn't. That pissed me off."

"Wish I could've stepped up, give him a break and give him a win to keep going."

The Wild and Stars continue their series in Game 3 from Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Friday night.