The Pittsburgh Penguins will stick with the man who has brought them this far, despite a 3-1 loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. Goaltender Matt Murray is getting the start in Monday’s Game 2, coach Mike Sullivan announced Sunday.
“He has a maturity level beyond his years and responds to adversity really well,” Sullivan said after practice.
In Game 1, the 20-year-old allowed three goals on just 20 shots, aiding the Penguins in dropping the first game of the ECF on home ice, despite the Lightning losing Ben Bishop to injury early in the game.
Murray has an all-situation save percentage of .929 this postseason and has held on to the starting job despite the availability of Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury wasn’t available to start the postseason due to a concussion, but is ready to go now. He’s been serving as Murray’s backup for most of the second round and into the ECF, which kicked off on Friday.