Fleury is well-aware he's allowed more goals to Ovechkin than any goalie.
"Yeah, I've heard that a few times," he said.
But the 40-year-old cherishes their many encounters. That included 12 seasons, and winning three series against Ovechkin's Capitals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (2009, 2016, 2017), when Fleury was with the Pittsburgh Penguins before he moved on to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021 and then the Wild in 2022.
"I don't like getting scored on by him, but I love the battle over the years," Fleury said. "I think with Pittsburgh, especially, we've had so many big games here and we saw him in the playoffs quite a few times, too. This building is fun. It's always a good atmosphere, loud, and when you play against the best player in the world, right, it's always a good challenge and brings the best out of you."
Ovechkin recognizes that Fleury has been among the best at his craft, too. Fleury is second in NHL history with 568 wins during his 21 NHL seasons, behind Martin Brodeur's 691. He picked up his 28th win against the Capitals on Thursday (28-14-3) to move past Ron Hextall for the second most behind Brodeur's 40.
"Yeah, it's 20 years we play against each other," Ovechkin said. "It's always fun. It's always a challenge. He's one of the best goalies out there and it's a huge challenge for me to play against him."
Ovechkin has always had a knack for scoring against Fleury, though. Add in 13 goals in the playoffs and Ovechkin's 41 total goals against Fleury are the most against any goalie in the NHL's expansion era (post 1967-68), surpassing Brett Hull, who had 40 goals against Tim Cheveldae.
Ovechkin's total includes three in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, when the Capitals defeated Fleury and the Golden Knights in five games to win their first championship.
Although Fleury has contributed more to Ovechkin's pursuit of the goal record than any goalie, he's been pulling for him to pass Gretzky – just not against him. Fleury has said this will be his final season, so Washington's visit to Minnesota on March 27 could be the last time he faces Ovechkin.
"I feel fortunate I was able to play in this time," Fleury said. "He probably owes me a few things for scoring so many goals on me. I helped it out pretty good. I'm glad I got to face him. He's one of the best and always brings the best out of you. It's been fun battles with him."
The back-and-forth game between Minnesota (24-11-4) and Washington (25-10-3) on Thursday was another. The Wild answered Tom Wilson's goal at 10:19 of the first with goals from Ryan Hartman (11:24) and Yakov Trenin (19:07) to take a 2-1 lead into the second period. Ovechkin tied it at 2-2 with a wrist shot from above the left circle that floated in past Fleury low on the short side.
"The history between them and the rivalry with [Pittsburgh] and [Washington], the heated battles that they've had, it's pretty cool," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "For him to get one on the power play tonight, it was a big goal, a really big goal."
It was Ovechkin's 18th goal in 22 games this season and third in four games since returning from a 16-game absence with a fractured left fibula. It was also his 20th goal in 24 career regular-season games against the Wild, an average of 0.83 goals per game that is his best against any opponent (minimum of five games played).
Ovechkin wasn't satisfied, though. He shared a laugh with Fleury in the final minute of the second period after Fleury covered a rebound before Ovechkin could get to it.
"I told him, 'I need one more,'" Ovechkin said. "He said, 'You already get one.'"
Washington took a 3-2 lead on Martin Fehervary's goal 5:34 into the third period, but Marco Rossi knocked in his own rebound at 11:19 to re-tie the score at 3-3. After overtime settled nothing, Matt Boldy was the only player to score in the shootout.
Fleury stopped Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Ovechkin for his 66th shootout victory, which are most in NHL history. It was also Fleury's 14th win at Washington (14-7-3) moving him ahead of Gilles Meloche for second most behind Brodeur's 19.
"I know with 'Flower,' he's played a lot of games in this building and against this team," Hartman said. "It always seems like it's a good battle whenever he's here, and I think sometimes games like this mean a lot to him."
It seemed fitting it ended with Fleury outwaiting Ovechkin and knocking away his shootout attempt with his catching glove.
"I think he's a guy [that] when he's gone, the game will miss him," Wilson said of Fleury. "He's fun to have in the League. He's a heck of a goalie. We've had a lot of battles against him. I think 'O' and him, you see them smiling back and forth.
"Game respects game. It's fun to see two all-time legends going at it and having a front-row seat to that."
