CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Matt Murray left the Penguins' practice early, Monday at the Lemieux Sports Complex, after taking a puck to the head on an Olli Maatta slap shot during drills.
He was "evaluated" afterward, Mike Sullivan said without mentioning if it was for a concussion, and he will be evaluated further Tuesday, Jim Rutherford added later. Rutherford said more would be disclosed at that time.
Perhaps as a precaution in case Murray isn't available Tuesday night to face the Devils, the team recalled Casey DeSmith from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Tristan Jarry and Dominik Simon were reassigned to the AHL, but it's possible Jarry was merely a paper move that can be easily reversed if Murray is injured.
When the puck struck him, Murray appeared temporarily dazed but more angered at first. He stayed in his net for a few more minutes before leaving under his own power.
Maatta appeared a little downcast afterward in the dressing room. His shot came from the right circle while Murray was still on his knees from stopping a previous puck. Murray's last known concussion came April 9, 2016, when the Flyers' Brayden Schenn collided with him. That injury forced Murray to miss the start of that year's first-round playoff series against the Rangers.
Jarry has lost two of his past three starts, including getting yanked after giving up four goals on 16 shots Saturday against the Panthers. He's 10-4-2 with a .916 save percentage this season. DeSmith is 3-3 with a .926 save percentage.
Going into the NHL trade deadline, Jim Rutherford had previously stated that he's confident in the goalies he has on the roster. He even sent top prospect Filip Gustavsson to Ottawa as part of the Derick Brassard trade. After the Monday trade deadline, he reiterated that he never pursued an addition at the position.
Simon, a 23-year-old rookie winger, has bounced from the first to fourth lines in producing four goals and seven assists in 28 games. He hadn't scored in his final 12 games, and he was held without a point in 11 of those, this despite extensive five-on-five time alongside Sidney Crosby. The captain spent Monday's practice on a line with Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Penguins practice, UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Feb. 26, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS