Matt Murray's return to practice Monday afternoon signaled his possible return. It also likely means a longer wait for Tristan Jarry's NHL regular-season debut.
Mike Sullivan said Murray has been upgraded to "day-to-day" after practicing with the Penguins for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury Dec. 28. Murray could possibly return during the three-game road trip this week.
"It’s a big step," Sullivan said after practice at PPG Paints Arena. "It’s a big step for Matt. It's a big step for our team when he’s joining practice with the team. We’ll see how he responds to it. His status is now day-to-day, and we’re certainly encouraged with his progress."
With Marc-Andre Fleury receiving a "maintenance day" Monday, Murray was joined on the ice by Jarry, who was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last Friday.
Murray has not played since leaving after the second period of the Penguins' 3-2 win over the Hurricanes on Dec. 28 — a game in which he allowed two goals on 27 shots. Sullivan said at that time that Murray was "week to week," so his return after the CBA-mandated bye week is not unexpected.
Before the injury, Murray was playing well, with the only exception being a 7-1 loss at Columbus on Dec. 22. He has a 2.18 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in 17 starts. Fleury, who stopped 28 shots in the Penguins' 6-2 victory over the Lightning on Sunday night, has won five consecutive starts and rebounded nicely in December after allowing 22 goals in six November games.
Murray said there's no knowing how he'll respond to his first full practice until he wakes up Tuesday morning or after when he practices on back-to-back days, which he expects to do before the Penguins' trip to play the Capitals on Wednesday:
If he's not ready to return, Jarry will remain Fleury's backup.
Jarry, who has played in 20 games for Wilkes-Barre this season after an outstanding preseason with the Penguins, split reps with Murray during power-play drills Monday and worked extensively with goaltending coach Mike Bales.
Jarry gained some perspective looking down the ice at Murray and seeing what patience can bring.
After appearing in 72 games in three seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Murray made his NHL debut last season and appeared in 13 regular-season games. He went on to start 21 of the Penguins' 24 playoff games and held a sterling 2.08 goals-against average during the Stanley Cup run.
Jarry, a soft-spoken former second-round pick who is only 11 months younger than Murray, doesn't have unrealistic expectations and doesn't compare himself to Murray.
"The challenge is mentally preparing myself going into practice and making sure I’m focusing on the things I need to work on each day," Jarry told DKPittsburghSports.com. "I think that helps me achieve where I want to be. It’s a bit of everything, I self-evaluate myself every day. That’s one of the things you have to do as a goalie and you have to know the parts of your game you need to improve on each day, the parts that might need to be put back for a little bit."
Jarry spent much of last season playing behind Murray for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and they both know what it's like to work relentlessly until an opportunity arrives. That's what the two spoke about last week when Murray invited the younger goalie over for dinner.
Murray hasn't been able to pay attention much to Jarry's progress since he was recalled Dec. 29. There's no need to, he said. Jarry has shown it with his stellar start to the season in Wilkes-Barre and with how he handled his time with the Penguins in the preseason.
Jarry stopped 54 shots during a two-shutout preseason and is 14-5 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, recording a 2.14 goals-against average after playing in only three Calder Cup playoff games last season.
"We can both relate to each other," Murray said. "We’re both about the same age. We’re both going through the same thing. He’s a good friend of mine, and he’s obviously a heck of a goalie."
With Murray on the mend, Jarry is determined to maximize every minute of his stay.
"It’s one of those things every kid dreams of playing in a NHL game," Jarry said. "It’s one of those things I’m always working towards and I know one day it will come."
SECONDARY ASSISTS
An illness prevented Phil Kessel, Trevor Daley and Chad Ruhwedel from practicing with the Penguins on Monday, Sullivan said.
This has become a trend for the Penguins as of late. Olli Määttä missed two games last month because he didn't feel well. Fleury and Carl Hagelin missed practice on Friday because of an illness.
What is a head coach to do when a nasty cold is being passed around the dressing room?
"We’re trying to do everything we can to try to limit it going through the team," Sullivan said. "We’re trying to use separate water bottles, we’re sanitizing everything. Hopefully we can stop it, but obviously there are a fair amount of our guys going through it here."
• Scott Wilson is still getting used to his role on the fourth line. Wilson finds it difficult to gain confidence and maintain it when playing only 11 minutes per game, but he is making the most of his time on the ice.
Wilson scored a goal in the Penguins' 6-2 win over the Lightning on Sunday, and created two more scoring chances with shots on net. The 24 year old only has 11 points in 36 games, but he brings an "edge" that Sullivan wants to utilize more:
• Matt Cullen defies Mother Nature. He was one of the best on the team during puck possession drills Monday. Cullen dangled two pucks around the neutral zone faceoff circles while Sullivan took swipe after swipe to try to knock one away.
Sullivan wasn't successful.
Cullen's teammates weren't surprised. Cullen had two assists and a prime scoring chance against the Lightning on Sunday, and seemed to benefit greatly from the Penguins' bye week. He didn't spend it away from the ice, though:
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