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SAN JOSE — By the time Marc-Andre Fleury came off the ice following practice on Saturday, Matt Murray had already taken off his equipment and was standing in the hallway of the SAP Center and was fielding questions about his nerves, redeeming himself after a bad loss and the challenge of winning the Stanley Cup on enemy turf.

For Fleury, it could have been an awkward moment. Instead, it was an opportunity to be a big brother to a young goalie in need of some support.

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“I think it’s mostly about encouraging him,” Fleury said of the 22-year-old Murray. “He’s been great for us. Anytime he lost a game, he’s always been strong in net. So I don’t think you really have to make him overthink about stuff.”

That Fleury is playing the role of the cheerleader — rather than actually playing — is still a bit surprising even after four rounds of playoffs.

In 2009, Fleury was the goalie who made the last save in Game 7 as the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup. And if you had told anyone back in March that the Penguins would be playing for another chance at a championship this year, pretty much everyone would have assumed that meant Fleury would be in net once again.