Potash and Fleury reunite ahead of Game 7

Everyone's favorite rinkside reporter, Dan Potash, reunited with everyone's favorite quirky goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, via "DAN CAM" ahead of AT&T SportsNet's broadcast of Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night.

* Fleury joined Potash from his home in Vegas, where he is quarantining with his wife Veronique and their three children: Estelle, Scarlett and James. Fleury said that the kids are loving the family time, especially 4-year-old Scarlett - who told her papa it's great that "everybody is home all the time and we can play together."
Also, if anyone is wondering what those green balloons behind Fleury are, they were for James' recent first birthday celebration.
* After that, Fleury and Potash set the scene for the winner-take-all do-or-die Game 7 in Detroit. Everyone knows the story behind Mario Lemieux's
legendary text message to the team ahead of that game
. But Fleury said it was the message that the Hall of Fame owner/icon sent after Game 5 that resonated with him the most personally.
After the Penguins lost that contest 5-0 to go down 3-2 in the series, Lemieux gave the team some much-needed words of encouragement: "We are a family and in this together. We don't need anyone that is only with us WIN or TIE. I really think this is our year. Let's forget about tonight ... It happens. We will win Tuesday and win the Cup Friday."
"I got pulled from the game. I was down on myself, mad that things got that way," Fleury said. "To get a text like that from Mario after the game to say, stick with it, just go win the next one and win the seventh one in Detroit - I don't know, I think it was just encouraging for me to not feel down on myself and just move on quickly, get ready for Game 6. Didn't matter what the score of Game 5 was."
* After Detroit's Jonathan Ericsson put a shot past Fleury with just over six minutes left in the third period, the score of Game 7 was 2-1 in Pittsburgh's favor. At that point, Fleury said his mindset was just to keep it there - which wasn't easy, considering the Penguins famously registered just one shot in that entire final frame.
"That third period, I thought Detroit had the puck a lot and we kind of defended," he said. "As a team I thought we did a good job to not give them too many good scoring chances, but we didn't have the puck that much. I thought it was them putting pressure on us a lot. I think in my head, it was just about keeping it at one and then we could win. It was a simple thing (laughs)."
* The most memorable save of Fleury's career came on Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom with 1.5 seconds left to preserve that 2-1 lead and win the Stanley Cup. I loved this exchange between Potash and Fleury about it.
Potash: "When you watch the video now or you just think about it in your mind, do you go back to when you were little Flower as a kid playing in the street and you would re-enact moments where you playfully thought, maybe someday I'll make it? Or do you think about today's kids that now pretend to be you making that big save? It's etched in the minds of a lot of people that play the sport."
Fleury: "It's pretty crazy to think that way. As for me as a kid, I loved being Patrick Roy or Marty Brodeur. Those were my two favorite guys. I won a lot of Cups being these guys. So, to have the chance to do it myself, I feel very fortunate for that. It was a little bit of a street hockey save, too, just diving around and not too technical. But such an amazing feeling to make that save. For kids watching and who remember it, (I hope that they) believe that they can do it just like I did when I was a kid."

* Once the final buzzer sounded, Fleury threw his stick, glove and blocker into the air and began celebrating with his teammates. When he reflects on his incredible career - highlighted by three Stanley Cups and five trips to the Final - Fleury said that there is no doubt that the win in 2009 ranks at the top for him.
"I loved everything about that Cup run," he said. "Our team was just such a great bunch of guys. A lot of fun playing hockey in those times, too. It's hard to win a Cup and it's so tiring, stressful to go through every round and try to win every round. We had some good battles, too, with other teams. But the feeling that you got to win that first Stanley Cup, it's something that I dreamt about since I was a kid. It felt surreal to lift the Cup, kiss it, take it around. Great, great memories from those times."
* The conversation ended with Potash asking Fleury if he is using the break to think up some new pranks to play on him the next time they meet.
"Honestly, it wasn't in my thoughts," Fleury said before adding with his trademark grin, "But now that you mentioned it, maybe I should think about it. I'll be ready for you."