Penguins to Start Rookie Matt Murray, Fleury Back to the Bench for Game 6

Image via Zimbio

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a goalie controversy simmering just below the surface throughout the postseason, with the situation having hit critical mass just as the team is facing elimination for the first time.

Going into Game 6 up 3-2, the Tampa Bay Lightning have the opportunity to send the Pens home tonight and stamp their own ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals. But the man standing between them and victory won’t be two-time All-Star Marc-Andre Fleury.

After starting and performing brilliantly throughout the playoffs, Murray was benched late in Game 4 in favor of Fleury, who had been sidelined since late April after sustaining a concussion. With Fleury waiting in the wings, anything short of a shutout was enough to get people talking.

Speaking of getting people talking, that’s exactly what Fleury did with his rusty return in Game 5. After blowing leads of 2-0 and 3-2 by allowing a trio of soft (two unforgivably so) goals, Fleury got beat just 53 seconds into overtime.

It was the first time all season (46 games) the Penguins had lost a game when leading after two. They were the only team in the NHL not to blow a third period lead.

Second guessed nearly to death after a decision that was really only controversial in hindsight, Pens coach Mike Sullivan made it clear early Tuesday afternoon that the decision of who to start in Tampa would not go down to the wire. Sullivan made the announcement public early in the day rather than leaving the lightning guessing.

Per the Post-Gazette:

“Matt has played extremely well for us throughout the course of the playoffs,” said Sullivan. “He’s won a lot of big games for us. He’s made timely saves for us. He has a demeanor back there, a calming effect on the group in front of him. I think his performance speaks for itself.

“He’s been thrown into a tough situation, and he’s handled it extremely well. So at this particular point in the season, it’s, we don’t have the luxury of letting, of allowing players to play through things. We have to win a game. We have to win a hockey game. And that’s how we looked at it.”

Win or lose, the Penguins have managed to find whatever the opposite of a silver lining is in this scenario. By benching Murray for Fleury and then Fleury for Murray, Sullivan has accidentally ignited a fire that will likely burn all summer long.

Unless they turn this around and the season ends with the team roster etched on the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in franchise history. Championships are the ultimate fire extinguisher.

But the fact remains that only four teams are currently in worse shape salary cap wise than Pittsburgh. When the time comes to make tough roster decisions, it’s hard to imagine the four-year, $23 million extension they signed Fleury to in November 2014 won’t become a source of frustration.

Especially when a 31-year-old Fleury costs an average of $5.75 annually, which is just a smidge more than the $620,000 22-year-old Murray makes.