Penguins looking for Stanley Cup repeat with more seasoned Murray

Matt Murray unexpectedly backstopped the Pittsburgh Penguins to their fourth Stanley Cup last season - the team's first championship since 2008-09.

The rookie took over between the pipes for Marc-Andre Fleury, and went 15-6-2 with a 2.08 GAA and a .923 save percentage in his first real taste of consistent starts in the league.

Still considered a rookie, Murray has gotten his first real opportunity to prove himself as a starter in the league this season and the results have been nothing short of fantastic.

In 39 games, Murray continues to roll with a 2.39 GAA and a .923 save percentage. However, his biggest accomplishment this season has been his 25 wins.

The 22-year-old hit the quarter-century mark on Wednesday night in a wild 7-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets, setting a new best for Penguins rookie netminders.

While the milestone isn't something to marvel at from an all-time stand point, but with some continued success he could join some elite company.

Murray's 25 wins currently puts him in a tie for the 32nd most wins by a rookie netminder in NHL history. With 17 games remaining on the Penguins schedule and just three sets of games on back-to-back nights, one can expect Murray to earn the majority of the starts down the stretch.

If he were to start 12 of the remaining 17 games, at his current winning percent, Murray would pick up seven more wins. Those wins would give him a share of the 12th-most wins by a rookie goalie.

Murray is quickly proving himself to be the goalie of the Penguins' present and future. He proved he can tangle with the best in the postseason last year, and with a full season now under his belt, there is no reason why he couldn't replicate his stellar play once again in just over a month's time.