Sunday, September 14, 2003

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Matt Murley, one of the Penguins' top prospects at left wing, registered a hat trick in the first game of the team's training camp tournament yesterday at Southpointe.

It was a performance sure to impress management, even if it failed to have that effect on him.

"I didn't really do anything too special," Murley said. "There were some good passes out there that made it to me, and I put them in. Sometimes you get those lucky bounces. That was it."

Murley, the Penguins' second-round pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, did have a bit of fortune in how the puck followed him in his White team's 4-4 tie with the Black, but he also made the most of it.

On the first goal, right winger Maxime Talbot dumped the puck hard into the left corner and the carom came right to Murley at the inner edge of the circle. He one-timed it high past goaltender Nick Boucher. On the second, he was just in front of Boucher when he tipped in a long shot by defenseman David Koci. And on the third, he buried a point-blank feed from Talbot.

Management was not pleased with Murley's work in the earliest stage of camp, but that has shifted, and no one is ruling out that Murley could make the final cut.

Not even Murley.

"I think there's a chance, if I can just play my game," he said. "I had a good season last year, so they know what kind of player I am."

Murley, 23, had 21 goals and 37 assists in 73 games for the Penguins' AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre.

The other White goal was by left winger Toby Petersen. The Black goals were by centers Matt Hussey, Stephen Dixon and Mike Eastwood, and left winger Ryan Malone.

In the second scrimmage, Black tied Gold, 2-2, on Malone's goal with 14.1 seconds left. Center Rico Fata scored the other Black goal off a slick feed by right winger Colby Armstrong, his second of the day. For the Gold, left winger Kelly Buchberger had a goal and set up one by right winger Tom Kostopoulos.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, had his strongest showing of camp while playing only the third period of the second scrimmage. He stopped 12 of 13 shots, including a spectacular toe save on Armstrong before Malone scored the tying goal.

Camp capsules

Center Mario Lemieux and left winger Martin Straka are being held out of the tournament but are practicing with the first group of the day.

Lemieux the rink rat? He stayed after his practice session to watch both games, then surprised everyone in the organization by participating in an afternoon practice with a different group.

Defensemen Michal Rozsival (knee) and Dan Focht (elbow) were the only players out because of injury. Rozsival is expected to be recovered within two weeks, and Focht could return as early as today.

The Penguins unveiled their new media guide, highlighted by a Page 1 tribute to Herb Brooks.

For part of the first scrimmage, the organization's fastest players -- Fata, Konstantin Koltsov and Eric Meloche -- were united on one line with eye-opening results.

Meloche flattened Fleury late in the second scrimmage, charging through his crease late with the puck already out of the zone. Fleury quickly got back to his feet.

The Southpointe bleachers, which hold 700, were nearly filled.

In scrimmages today, the White team will face Gold at 9 a.m., and White will face Black at at 10:30. First practice is at 8.

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