The injury that knocked Matt Murray out of Pittsburgh’s series-opening win against Columbus will keep him out of Game 2 as well.
And perhaps even longer.
On Thursday, the Pens announced that Marc-Andre Fleury -- who, after Murray was hurt in warmup, stopped 31 of 32 shots in yesterday’s 3-1 win -- will start Game 2 on Friday at PPG Paints.
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Fleury will be backed up by AHL recall Tristan Jarry. Murray didn’t practice on Thursday, nor did he have a dressing room stall at the club’s practice facility in Cranberry. Per the Post-Gazette, it’s believed Murray re-aggravated a groin injury suffered in his last outing, a 7-4 win over New Jersey last week.
Though Murray sat for the final two games of the regular season, he was declared fit enough to be Pittsburgh’s playoff starter. Head coach Mike Sullivan declined to discuss the severity of Murray’s injury, or a potential timetable for return.