As road trips go, Manhattan and Montreal aren't bad stops on the NHL circuit. Especially if you're just along for the ride as Matt Murray was this week.
Murray has been taking full shots in practice in recent days and could return as soon as next week. The question for the Penguins, who have just 10 games remaining in the regular season, is how many of those games do they need to play their franchise goalie to make sure he is playoff-ready?
The Penguins still have three sets of back-to-backs in which, even under the best circumstances, it would seem doubtful that Murray plays both ends. It's a delicate tight rope the Penguins must walk. The Penguins love Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith but there is no three-peat if Murray isn't 100 percent and at the top of his game.
They have to balance getting Murray ready for the grind of the postseason with also making sure he doesn't suffer any kind of a setback from the concussion he suffered last month.
MORE PENGUINS
• Two games is a small sample size, to be sure, but the organization is quite pleased with what it saw from Josh Jooris during his recent call-up to the Penguins. Jooris had five shot attempts and solid possession metrics, including a 50.45 Corsi For percentage. He brings 200-plus NHL games experience and could be counted on in a pinch. -- Bradford
• I was told by a high-ranking team official in New York that the Penguins value something else about Zach Aston-Reese I'd never heard anywhere: He's "tough," per the official. When I asked what tough meant, it was quickly clarified it was a reference to dropping the gloves and "really taking care of himself." I can't help but wonder if that, too, didn't help make Ryan Reaves expendable at the trade deadline. There's also the fact there is less fighting in the postseason than goes on during regular season play. But it's nice to know the team feels Aston-Reese can handle himself. -- Dejan Kovacevic in Montreal
• Everything about the Penguins' recent goaltending rotation -- aside, obviously, from Matt Murray's concussion -- is aimed at ensuring they can go three-deep, if needed, for the playoffs. Scripted in advance. -- Kovacevic
• Derick Brassard told me this week that, just a couple weeks before the NHL trade deadline, he'd been assured by Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion that "I wasn't going anywhere." But when the Senators started turning more serious about the possibility of moving franchise anchor Erik Karlsson, all the way up to madman owner Eugene Melnyk, that stance softened and soon changed. That's when the Penguins, Jets and Blue Jackets went hard to get Brassard. -- Kovacevic
STEELERS
• How well did the Steelers keep things quiet when they were interviewing Tom Bradley for their position of secondary coach? So well that I'm told his own brother, team surgeon Jim Bradley, didn't even know his brother was a candidate until after he was hired. I was told when Jim Bradley questioned his brother about the secrecy, he was told the information was on a need-to-know basis. And Jim Bradley, apparently, didn't need to know. -- Dale Lolley
• A lot is made about it every time Mike Tomlin shows up at a Pro Day. But there are some that he just goes to every year, such as Ohio State and Alabama. However, when Tomlin shows up at Wake Forest, as he did this past week, you know there's a prospect there in whom the Steelers are interested. In this case, it's free safety Jessie Bates, whom the Steelers also took out to dinner. -- Lolley
• The release of Robert Golden this week caught pretty much everyone by surprise. But the more I thought about it, it probably shouldn't have. The Steelers continued to run Mike Mitchell onto the field last season despite the fact he was playing on an injured ankle. They did that because they felt Mitchell at, say, 75 percent, was still better than Golden at 100 percent. -- Lolley
• Look for the Steelers to start getting active in free agency next week. I'll run down the best options available Sunday night. -- Lolley
PIRATES
• Ivan Nova's teammates were overjoyed he was named the opening day starter. However, Nova was actually surprised by the assignment. He thought Clint Hurdle was going to have Jameson Taillon take the ball against the Tigers on March 29. -- Lance Lysowski in Bradenton, Fla.
• Pirates relief pitcher Michael Feliz, who was acquired from the Astros in the Gerrit Cole trade, was not invited to join his former teammates for the White House visit, despite throwing 48 innings for the World Series champions last season. Feliz, who was inactive for the playoffs because of a shoulder injury, had no plans to attend if he had received the invitation, though. He didn't want to leave camp for even a day while competing for a spot in the bullpen. -- Lysowski
• Adam Frazier doesn't seem fazed at all by the Pirates' decision to acquire Corey Dickerson. In fact, he was thrilled they were able to add the former All-Star. Sure, Frazier wanted to play every day, but he understood what the club's needs were and expressed confidence that he'll find his way into the lineup. The biggest challenge, though, was getting reacclimated to playing second base after being in the outfield early in camp. - Lysowski
• Josh Harrison and David Freese have clearly filled the leadership void left by Andrew McCutchen's departure. When they talk, teammates listen. -- Lysowski
PITT
• Less than two days after his name first emerged in the Pitt basketball coaching search, former Marquette and Indiana coach Tom Crean appears to be out of the running with reports by ESPN — probably accurate, considering the network is his current employer — that he was finalizing an agreement to become Georgia’s next coach. Crean’s name popped up in regards to the Pitt job unexpectedly Wednesday, and his interest likely was tied to consulting firm Fogler Consulting. The firm, which is assisting Pitt in its search, played a role landing Crean in his last coaching job at Indiana. — Matt Grubba
• With nearly every coaching change comes player transfers, and freshman 3-point marksman Parker Stewart was the first player confirmed to have asked for his release from his scholarship at Pitt. But while Stewart is out the door, questions arose surrounding the status of fellow freshman, Marcus Carr, until the Panthers’ second-leading scorer took to Twitter to shut down transfer speculation Thursday. Carr quoted multiple tweets — some now deleted — claiming he was leaving the Panthers, only to jokingly reply he doesn’t know who their (bad) source was, calling the tweets “#TMZSports.” — Grubba
• As a local player from Steel Valley and a talented and highly recruited one, redshirt freshman Paris Ford has garnered plenty of attention in the first week of spring football practice. But while the recently converted corner is expected to play a major role, when the Panthers’ first-team defense went live for the first time Thursday, it was sophomore Jason Pinnock and incumbent starter Dane Jackson at the two cornerback spots. Ford has been keeping busy, however, showing athleticism at his new defensive position and regularly fielding punts during special-teams periods. — Grubba
PENN STATE
• If he had it his way, Saquon Barkley wouldn’t be attending the NFL Draft. Barkley would’ve been at home in Coplay with family and friends, but don’t think for a second that being the premier signing with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports doesn’t include sometimes doing things that you ordinarily wouldn’t want to do. Still, it’s a chance of a lifetime and he’ll be a millionaire by the end of it, so it’s hard to argue with Roc Nation, right? - Audrey Snyder in State College
• The Nittany Lions open spring ball on Monday and that’s typically a time where teams also try out new gear. Last year it was the equipment used to monitor throwing motions for the quarterbacks, all wrapped up with data that was stored to iPads immediately following workouts. Penn State’s on-campus concussion lab makes them an interesting place to potentially work out with different helmets, something they could opt to do either in spring ball, camp or practices. - Snyder
• There’s genuine excitement surrounding running back Miles Sanders getting a chance to be the top back and that’s come from teammates, coaches and the strength staff. Yes, it’s his first spring as the projected top back, but don’t expect much of a dropoff with the five-star back getting his opportunity after working behind Barkley for two seasons. - Snyder