Why the Penguins will stick with Murray in Game 2

10 years ago

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After losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the biggest decision Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan faces is whether to stick with rookie netminder Matt Murray, or swap him out for well-rested Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury.

Though a healthy Fleury is certainly an enticing option, there are a number of reasons why the Penguins are likely to stick with the 21-year-old in Monday's Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Conn Smythe candidate

Though Fleury provides additional veteran experience in the crease, is that really enough to dethrone the goalie who has carried the Penguins through the opening two rounds?

Not only has Murray posted an incredible .929 save percentage through 10 playoff games, but he's recorded his seven victories opposite goaltending giants Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby.

Though Andrei Vasilevskiy is no typical backup in the event Lightning starter Ben Bishop's injury sidelines him for an extended period, neither is Murray. He's proved throughout this spring that he's not afraid of postseason pressure, making him a clear candidate for playoff MVP.

Rutherford's rookies

Though this is Sullivan's first trip to the third round of the NHL playoffs, it's the third time for general manager Jim Rutherford after two long playoff runs as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes. And if anybody should be confident in running deep into the postseason with a rookie goalie, it's him.

In 2006, Martin Gerber won 38 games during the regular season for the second-seeded Carolina Hurricanes, but it was a rookie thrown into action midway through the first round that changed the course of the playoffs.

Cam Ward, then 21, won 15 games on the way to a Conn Smythe and the franchise's first Stanley Cup. If Rutherford believes history can repeat itself, he'll remember that after losing Game 1 of the '06 conference finals, the Hurricanes stuck with Ward and went on to win in seven.

Not at fault

Though allowing three goals on 20 shots in Game 1 hardly appears to be a strong performance, Sullivan was quick to defend his goalie's effort.

"The goals that were scored were high-quality chances," said Sullivan, per Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "Very difficult saves. So I don't think it's an instance where Matt had a subpar performance."

It's hard to peg any game of Murray's so far as "subpar." He's allowed four goals just once in these playoffs, while the other three remaining starters - Bishop, Martin Jones, and Brian Elliott - have allowed at least four multiple times.

Though disappointing, Murray's performance Friday was better than anything either Fleury or Jeff Zatkoff could put together across the Penguins' three regular-season losses to Tampa Bay. There's no reason to pull the 21-year-old out of the crease until his play is truly a cause for concern.