■ The Golden Knights shut out host Philadelphia, 1-0.

Goalie No. 2 star as Knights end road trip with victory

PHILADELPHIA — Marc-Andre Fleury was awarded the second star of the game Saturday following a spectacular 26-save performance from the Golden Knights goaltender.

But his teammates knew better.

“He’s the reason why we won,” forward Ryan Carpenter said.

Fleury made a handful of tremendous stops and Cody Eakin scored the lone goal with 1:25 remaining in a much-needed 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers before an announced afternoon crowd of 19,067

at Wells Fargo Center.

The Knights paid back Philadelphia for a 5-2 loss at T-Mobile Arena on opening night and avoided the franchise’s first four-game losing streak during the regular season.

The win was their first in regulation since Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and salvaged a 2-3 record from their longest road trip of the season.

“Fleury was outstanding, and he was the difference in the hockey game,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “He looked really good. He was confident. He was playing with the puck a lot behind the net and helping our (defensemen) on the breakouts, so he was real solid.”

Fleury entered with a 1-3 record, a 3.94 goals-against average and .846 save percentage. But he hadn’t received much help from his teammates.

The Knights allowed a season-high 16 high-danger scoring chances against Philadelphia, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, and Fleury came up big each time to record his 49th career shutout.

“We gave up a few good chances early,” said Eakin, named the No. 1 star. “He was there, kept us in the game and well into the third. It’s nice to put one in for him there because he bailed us out a whole bunch.”

Fleury’s best save is up for debate.

He dived across his crease with 40 seconds remaining and reached up with his glove to deflect Claude Giroux’s blast from the left circle.

“They always make those plays cross-ice in front of your crease,” Fleury said. “They’re very good at it, and it makes it tough on the (defense) and the goalie. At the end there, I was in trouble, a little late, and I just threw everything I could over there at the end to get a piece.”

Fleury also robbed Giroux on a partial breakaway, trapping the shot along the ice with his glove with 4:06 left in the second period.

He peeked back into his net afterward to double check he had the puck.

“I felt it,” Fleury said with his trademark grin, “but I just wanted to make sure.”

In addition, Fleury made a sprawling save with his back on Jordan Weal in the first period and turned aside Scott Laughton’s short-handed breakaway attempt with a little more than five minutes remaining in the second.

“I think our play has been improving throughout the road trip,” Fleury said. “Nobody likes to lose, and we had to finish on a good note.”

On the winning goal, Eakin dived to poke the puck free from Flyers center Sean Couturier, and Carpenter scooped it up near the blue line.

Carpenter cut toward the net and was prepared to shoot until he saw Eakin uncovered and sent a pass across the slot. Eakin snapped a high shot past Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott (20 saves) for his second goal.

“That game could have gone either way as we all saw it,” Gallant said. “Fortunately, for us, we stuck with it and we got paid off at the end.”

Derik Hamilton The Associated Press The Knights went 2-3 on their longest road trip this season, thanks to Cody Eakin’s third-period goal against the Flyers.