Murray now working with personal goalie coach

Matt Murray has started working with a new personal goaltending coach, Elliotte Friedman reported in his 31 Thoughts column this week.

Murray is now working with Adam Francilia, who works with a number of goaltenders around the NHL, as well as a handful of skaters.

Francilia's other clients around the league, according to the Winnipeg Free Press, include Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit (Jets), James Reimer (Hurricanes), Devan Dubnyk (Wild), Thomas Greiss (Islanders), Aaron Dell (Sharks), Eric Comrie (AHL Manitoba), and Troy Grosenick (AHL Milwaukee). Francilia also works with skaters Andrew Ladd (Islanders) and Tyler Myers (Canucks), along with Justin Schultz.

Francilia met Murray earlier this season during a visit to Pittsburgh. Francilia, who focuses on biomechanics, said that he believes fans will notice a difference in Murray's play when hockey resumes.

“In general terms, we’ve identified some structural deficiencies that weren’t allowing him to create the foundation of stance that he should have," Francilia told Friedman. "A couple of hiccups were affecting his biomechanics.”

Friedman also said that Francilia sees similarities in Hellebuyck and Murray in that they are both "thinkers."

Hellebuyck, who started working with Francilia prior to the 2017-18 season, spoke to NHL.com about the influence Francilia had on the way he trains, something that leads to more stability on the ice.

"A complete 180 (degree turnaround) from what I was doing before," Hellebuyck said. "I was lifting a bunch of weights but now I actually feel in control of my body and I have a base for it because he preaches core and everything out from there. So, now, I truly feel like my core is stabilizing the rest of my game."

NHL.com said Francilia's workouts with goaltenders "focused on teaching the brain and body to activate specific muscles, including the obliques, in the correct sequence for more efficient movement on the ice, eliminating the counterrotation of legs moving in one direction while the upper body and arms swing the other way, much like a speedskater."