The Penguins more than survived Marc-Andre Fleury’s absence in their opening-round playoff win against the Rangers, as Matt Murray and Jeff Zatkoff combined to beat the Blueshirts in five games.
In the second round, though -- against the top-seeded Capitals -- it’s safe to assume Pittsburgh wants Fleury back in the mix.
Problem is, Fleury’s not there yet. He’s still dealing with concussion symptoms.
“It’s one of the toughest things I’ve been through,” Fleury said after Monday’s optional workout, per the Post-Gazette. “Some good days, when you think you’re back, and some bad days, when you think it’s never going to get fixed.”
Fleury hasn’t played since Mar. 31, when he suffered the concussion against Nashville. He’s since missed 10 games -- five regular-season, five playoff -- and while the second round start date has yet to be determined, Fleury has to be considered questionable at this point.
Thankfully for the Pens, Murray has been up to the challenge thus far.
After missing the first two games of the Rangers series with an upper-body ailment, the 21-year-old ripped off three straight wins, posting a .955 save percentage and a 31-save shutout in Game 4.
“He’s got a quiet confidence about him that I think really helps him deal with the ebbs and flows,” Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said of Murray, per NHL.com. “For a young guy, he’s mature beyond his years.
“I also think he’s a guy that reads the play extremely well and because of that, positionally, he’s a very sound guy.”