Murray faced 54 shots through two games with the Marlies and made 46 saves while winning one game.
Murray faced 54 shots through two games with the Marlies and made 46 saves while winning one game.
As the Toronto Marlies took to warmups inside Blue Cross Arena in Rochester on Wednesday, Matt Murray, again, led them onto the ice.
The 29-year-old goaltender was the AHL Toronto's starting goaltender for the second straight game after joining the team on a conditioning stint from the Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Murray stopped 22 of 27 shots against the Syracuse Crunch but came up big in the shootout to help the Marlies secure a playoff spot on Saturday. It was the goaltender's first time playing in a game since April 4, 2023, against the Detroit Red Wings.
He had a similar game on Wednesday against the Rochester Americans, though, this time, Murray picked up a loss. He stopped 24 of 27 shots, allowing only three goals compared to his five against Syracuse.
However, there was one goal Murray would like to have back.
When goaltenders, specifically, are joining an AHL club for a conditioning stint, they're not as focused on getting the win as they are on making sure they feel healthy in the net. A win would be nice of course, but feeling good comes first.
And Murray was never forced to make any sporadic saves. Toronto played fairly well in front of him in both games, allowing the goaltender to face most of his shots on goal from the point and in unthreatening areas on the ice.
"I thought he was better this game. I'm sure he felt more comfortable," Marlies head coach John Gruden told Marlies play-by-play commentator Todd Crocker on Wednesday in Rochester. "I think he probably felt better. He looked more comfortable, so that's also a really good sign."
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What's next for Murray?
Murray's conditioning stint in the AHL lasts for three games or six days. However, if the Maple Leafs did want to, they could request to extend the goaltender's stint for another two games.
When Joseph Woll was on the mend from the high-ankle sprain he suffered earlier this season, he joined the Marlies on a conditioning stint, only playing one game. However, with where the season is at and where Murray is on the Maple Leafs' depth chart, it's entirely possible they request an extension.
The Marlies have two more games remaining in the regular season — at home on Saturday and Sunday against the Cleveland Monsters — where they can still move up in the standings and escape a playoff-opening three-game series, if they win the pair against Cleveland.
As for the Maple Leafs, their regular season concluded on Wednesday night with a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They won't return to game action until Game 1 of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Whether this is the end of the season or not for Murray remains to be seen, but it's certainly a good sign to see the netminder healthy and playing in games again.
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