Pens Goalie Situation Blooming for Murray

The 2015/2016 NHL playoffs are just around the corner for the Pittsburgh Penguins and I feel like this year, it's going to be a good one. Last year the Pens exited the playoffs in the first round last year, thanks to the New York Rangers. The Rangers could give thanks to their star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. King Henrik had himself a hell of a playoff run last year taking the Rangers to the Eastern Conference finals, where they were beat by the very young Tampa Bay Lightning. The Rangers got to the conference finals in one way and one way only, goaltending. If the Penguins want to go anywhere in the playoffs this year it's going to come down to keeping the puck out off the net.

Matt Murray is going to be the key piece in the playoffs due to Marc-Andre Fluery’s injury. We hope to most likely see Flower back in the cage in this year’s playoffs and continue to help the Penguins on their hot streak going forward into the playoff. Fluery isn't going to be ready in my eyes for the first couple games in round one which means Mike Sullivan has to turn to rookie sensation, Matt Murray. Murray finally made it to the show and he truly has shown he should be here. Before last night’s game against the Washington Capitals, Matt has played in 11 games and posted a 8-2-1 record with a 1.98 GAA. For being a rookie goalie putting up numbers like that will help a team no matter what the circumstances are.

If Murray plays exactly how he's played filling in for the Flower, in the playoffs he will help the team try to reach its fourth Stanley Cup. The problem with having two stud goalies coming into the playoffs, with the veteran coming off injury, and the young hot hand, is who do you go with? In my head I say see how you do in the games you have already played in the playoffs. If Matt Murray struggle the first couple games, hopefully Fluery will be healthy by then, I'd go with Marc-Andre. If Matt is a brick wall and the Pens win games, I'd roll with him until we see that brick wall start to break.

If the Penguins really want to win the cup then it comes down to the goalies, simple as that. Winning any game comes down to the goalie keeping his team in it and making saves, and helping the team get the W. Matt Murray is really going to have to keep playing like he has been to make that happen. Hopefully when Flower returns we see the Flower we saw last year in the playoffs, the best Penguin player on that ice. The one thing us fans want is to see our Pittsburgh Penguins hoist the cup. With great goaltending from Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fluery, I see no reason why we wouldn't be the 2016 Stanley Cup champions.