With their season, and survival in their quest for a second Stanley Cup in the Sidney Crosby era, in the balance, the Pittsburgh Penguins are turning back to rookie goaltender Matt Murray.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the team's morning workout that after being unseated by Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5, Murray would get the start Tuesday versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Sullivan said this about his decision, via NHL.com's Dan Rosen: "At this particular point in the season, we don't have the luxury of allowing players to play through things.
"We have to win."
Murray's performance has tailed off in the Eastern Conference Final after he spearheaded series wins over the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals in the first and second rounds. He has an .888 save percentage and has looked fatigued against the Bolts, dragging his overall postseason clip down to .923.
Meanwhile, Fleury played well enough to give Pittsburgh a chance in Game 5, but at the same time showed he went more than 50 days between starts because of a concussion suffered late in the season.
Murray's start will be his 14th of the postseason, which would give him one more than his career regular-season total.
The 21-year-old has a career 18-6-2 record with a .926 save rate in the regular season and playoffs combined.
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