Matt Murray made it clear Tuesday that the Pittsburgh Penguins are not taking the Montreal Canadiens lightly ahead of their best-of-five play-in series scheduled for later this summer.

The Penguins enter the play-in round of the NHL’s Return to Play as the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference at No. 5, while the Canadiens sat 12th in the conference when play was paused in March.

"They are a great team," Murray said of Montreal. "They are fast. They are well- coached. They are structured. They've got a lot of really good players and they play the game the right way. That's all we're trying to focus on right now is getting ready for that series."

Murray competed with Tristan Jarry for the Penguins starting goaltender role during the season, but head coach Mike Sullivan told The Athletic last week that he could turn to the 26-year-old when play resumes, noting his history as a two-time Stanley Cup champion. Murray has been back on the ice with a limited number of teammates as part of Phase 2.

Murray has been back on the ice with a limited number of teammates as part of Phase 2.

"Skates have gone really well. The pace has been really good. The competition is really good," Murray said Tuesday.

During the regular season, Murray had a .899 save percentage and 2.87 GAA with a 20-11-5 record. 

The Penguins went 2-1 against the Canadiens during the regular season, with Murray starting in the team's 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 4.