"Gutless move by Hynes": Wild fans react to Marc-Andre Fleury getting pulled after conceding 5 goals against Kings

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury faced an early onslaught from the Los Angeles Kings, allowing five goals before being replaced at 12:56 of the second period. Fleury saved 11 of 16 shots he faced, resulting in a subpar save percentage of .688.

Los Angeles e­xerted dominance quickly, with Phillip Danault scoring at 05:08 in the opening period. Kevin Fiala ne­tted a power-play goal at 15:03. Just over a minute­ later, at 16:26, Viktor Arvidsson found the back of the ne­t.

The onslaught continued into the second period, as Matt Roy quickly extended the Kings' lead to 4-0 with a goal at 00:28. Jordan Spence piled on the misery for the Wild, scoring another power-play goal at 07:34 of the second period, prompting Marc-Andre Fleury's removal from the game.

Filip Gustavsson stepped in to guard the net for the Wild, facing nine shots and allowing one goal, but the damage had already been done.

Wild fans were nevertheless left frustrated and disappointed by Marc-Andre Fleury's removal, pointing out that the team's defense could not contain the Kings' attack.

"Gutless move by Hynes. All 5 are on the people in front of him, and he gets hung out to dry," tweeted one.

Here's a look at some of the top reactions on X:

Some fans wanted Gustavsson to start early in the second period.

Fans reckon it was a 'bad' move by the team to change the goalie:

Fans were also disappointed with the team's overall performance:

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Marc-Andre Fleury's impactful season with the Minnesota Wild

Marc-Andre Fle­ury has been solid for the Minnesota Wild this se­ason. In his previous seven games, he had let in two goals or fewer on six occasions.

During this stretch, he boasted an impressive 5-1-1 record, accompanied by an outstanding .937 save percentage. Across 34 appearances this season, Fleury has a 16-11-4 record, with a 2.67 goals-against average (GAA) and a .906 save percentage.

Despite Marc-Andre Fleury's strong performances, the Wild have had mixed results in recent games. Following an impressive eight-game points streak, the Wild ended their three-game road trip with a 1-1-1 record. They suffered their fourth shutout of the season, the first since Jan. 13, when they lost 6-0 to the Arizona Coyotes.

The Wild missed an opportunity to close the gap on the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference playoff race and trail by seven points.