Penguins keeping faith in Murray

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Matt Murray is in a new but familiar position with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Two years ago, Murray won a competition with Marc-Andre Fleury for the starting goalie job before helping the Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions. But Murray has struggled this season and has been temporarily usurped by Casey DeSmith, something that Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said gives him more time to work with goaltending coach Mike Buckley.
Murray was not available to speak Monday. Sullivan spoke on his behalf.
"I think Matt's mental toughness and the experiences that he's gone through, he can certainly draw on and help him get to where we all know he's capable of being," Sullivan said. "Right now, he's got an opportunity to spend some time with [Buckley] and work on some of the aspects of his game that we think can help him improve. He can build his confidence.
"This by no means diminishes our faith and our trust in Matt Murray. We know he's a real good goalie. He's an accomplished goalie."
Murray could back up DeSmith for a third straight game when the Penguins (7-5-3) play the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV). Sullivan did not confirm who would start.

While DeSmith would welcome another start, he also went out of his way to describe himself as the backup.
"That's my job. Just to show up when I get the chance," DeSmith said. "I think so far, I've given the team a chance to win when I've played. I take pride in that."
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby expressed confidence in each goalie.
"They go out there, they work hard every day in practice," Crosby said. "They want to go out there and perform for us. We try to do good in front of them, but [DeSmith] has certainly been really good for us."
In nine games (six starts) this season, DeSmith is 3-1-2 with two shutouts. His 1.89 goals-against average and .942 save percentage each rank third in the NHL.
Murray is 4-4-1 with a 3.87 GAA, .886 save percentage and one shutout in nine starts. He is 0-3-1 in his past four starts and has allowed at least four goals in each of his five starts at home.
Despite the numbers, Sullivan believes the Penguins will eventually need to rely on Murray if they are to win the Cup for the third time in four seasons.
"When you think about pro sports, it's a hard business, it's a hard game," Sullivan said. "Every player goes through ups and downs. Matt is no different than any other player that's come before him or that will come after him. It's about how you handle those ebbs and flows throughout the course of your respective careers that helps you to have success."
DeSmith, who has allowed two goals or fewer in seven of nine games this season, said seeing how Murray works has helped elevate his game.

"He's a guy who's clearly been around the block. He's won two Cups," DeSmith said. "He's got a lot under his belt. Working with him every day and working with [Buckley] too, it goes a long way, being surrounded by guys who have been through it, who have gone the whole way and succeeded."
As far as the Penguins are concerned, there is no controversy.
"I think sometimes we forget how young he is because he's as accomplished as he is," Sullivan said of the 24-year-old. "So we're going to work with Matt and help him through this process. It's no different than any other player."