Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was finally cleared to play Monday after an agonizing month on the shelf dealing with symptoms related to a concussion.

Instead of returning to the crease for Game 3 of the Penguins’ second-round series against the Washington Capitals, Fleury stayed on the bench in a baseball cap, backing up wunderkind Matt Murray.

The rookie’s play has simply forced the Penguins to keep him in the net, something Fleury said he understands.

“That’s fine. I haven’t played in a month now,” Fleury said Tuesday after an optional skate at the team’s practice facility. “What’s important is us winning. Matty’s giving us a chance to win every night he’s been in there. I’ll stay ready. I’ll encourage him. It’s not a personal game. It’s a team game.”

Fleury suffered a second concussion of the season following a March 31 game against the Nashville Predators. He said the recovery lingered for a frustrating length of time, but he never believed his long-term health was threatened.

“It was long. Every day felt long. I always woke up hopefully feeling better. That day took a while to come,” Fleury said. “It was definitely getting frustrating not being able to play, not being able to feel normal every day. It was frustrating, but with the help of doctors here and staff they kept me on the right track and it was good.”

The Penguins’ biggest challenge will be to get Fleury game-ready after missing so much time.

“He’ll continue to go through the process of getting his timing back and getting more involved in the intensity in practice,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think it’s great progress that he’s where he’s at. We feel as though right now we have two guys in Mark and Matt that are, we think, terrific goaltenders.”

Sullivan said Fleury has served as a mentor for Murray.

“He’s a good person, he understands the circumstance and he rolls with it,” Sullivan said. “As players, all that you can do is control that which is in your control. Good for us that we have a healthy Marc-Andre Fleury right now. He’s going to do everything he can to make sure that he’s sharp when the time comes, and we need him to help us win.”