As if it hasn't already been a grind for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions will be without starting goaltender Matt Murray on a week to week basis after he suffered a lower-body injury Monday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan offered little detail after practice Tuesday other than to report the latest time frame for Murray's injury.
Murray was hurt in a second-period collision with Flyers forward Jakub Voracek.
This is the fifth injury for the 23-year-old Murray in less than two years. Last year, he broke his hand during the preseason World Cup of Hockey, then suffered a lower-body injury during the regular season and another more serious lower-body injury -- believed to be a torn hamstring -- at the start of the 2017 playoffs.
Marc-Andre Fleury stepped in and carried the Penguins to the Eastern Conference Final where Murray took over in Game Three against the Ottawa Senators. Murray won seven of ten decisions from that point forward with a sterling 1.70 GAA and three shutouts, leading the Penguins to the Stanley Cup.
The first quarter of this season has been difficult for Murray and his team. He is 11-7-1 in 21 appearances (20 starts) with an inflated 2.95 GAA while the team is tied for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and seventh in the tight Eastern Conference. Murray allowed 11 goals in his first two starts and surrendered four goals or more eight times already this season.
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Still, his injury is a major blow for the Penguins, who no longer have the luxury of turning to the popular veteran Fleury. After another veteran, Antti Niemi, bombed in his brief Pittsburgh tenure, rookie Tristan Jarry emerged as the Pens No. 2 goalie -- and will handle the starting duties in Murray's absence.
Jarry came off the bench and stopped eight of ten shots as the Penguins rallied for a 5-4 overtime victory on Monday. The 22-year-old Jarry made 33 saves Saturday when the Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 for his first victory in the National Hockey League. In five career games (four this season, one last year), Jarry is 2-1-2 with a 2.88 GAA and .902 save percentage.
"It's about taking that jump, trying to get better and better," Jarry said on Tuesday of this opportunity with the Penguins. "The speed here is different. You have to challenge yourself to pick up your game speed and pace from the American League to the NHL. That's something I had to learn quickly is to work above the pace."
The Penguins placed Murray on injured reserve and recalled Casey DeSmith from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton where he was 9-2-1 with a 2.29 GAA and .924 save percentage.
"It's actually pretty wild, after being down (in the minors) together all last year, being goalie partners..now being up here at the same time," DeSmith said of sharing the Pens net with Jarry.
It is possible the Penguins might trade for a veteran goaltender, depending on how long Murray is out of the lineup, especially considering recent rumors that defenseman Ian Cole -- an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season -- is on the trade block.