Murray finished his conditioning stint on Saturday with a .846 save percentage in three AHL games.
Murray finished his conditioning stint on Saturday with a .846 save percentage in three AHL games.
Matt Murray bent over in his crease on Saturday with incredulity following the Cleveland Monsters' fourth goal, which ended up being the game-winner.
After having bilateral hip surgery in October, the Maple Leafs netminder spent all season recovering to make a return to game action possible this year. Murray was then loaned to the Marlies for a conditioning stint on Apr. 13 and played his first game in over a calendar year that day.
The 29-year-old allowed five goals on 27 shots but went perfect in the shootout to help the Marlies clinch a playoff spot. Four days later, Murray stopped 24 of 27 shots in a loss to the Rochester Americans.
Toronto entered this weekend needing to win back-to-back games against the Cleveland Monsters to leapfrog them in the standings and secure a first-round bye.
However, they weren't able to do so.
The Marlies struggled to find offense in the opening two periods, which wasn't the same for the Monsters. Cleveland scored three goals on Murray before the third period rolled around, two of which came off the stick of Tyler Pearson, who finished the game with a hat trick.
Kieffer Bellows, Zach Solow, and Alex Steeves got on the board during the final frame, making it a fascinating last few minutes for Toronto. But they weren't able to find the back of the net once more meaning they won't get a first-round bye and will have to face the Belleville Senators in a three-game series.
Murray, who's likely on his way back up to the Maple Leafs, finished Saturday's game with four goals allowed on 24 shots. Toronto's opposition found the back of the net three or more times when Murray was in goal for three games.
"It's a lot for someone to go through what he's been through. I just loved the fact that he was such a pro," Marlies head coach John Gruden said on Saturday of Murray. "I just love his demeanour and his presence around the room. The guys really appreciated having him around and he kept getting stronger and stronger, I thought, throughout the three games, and he's a competitor."
This was a fascinating scenario for the Marlies given where they were in the standings. Do you bring down a goalie, who's trying to ensure he feels healthy, during a period when you need wins? It's possible the Marlies weren't given a say on this.
However, when I asked Gruden whether it's a challenge to have a goaltender who's trying to confirm he's feeling healthy during an important stretch for the team, the Marlies' head coach responded firmly, saying it's great to have an experienced goaltender, whatever the circumstances.
"At the end of the day, we're getting a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender. We are not not going to want that in our locker room. He's a winner. He knows how to win," Gruden said.
"And having him, regardless of what went on, like that's a lot what he's been through. To have surgery like that, come back, and the AHL's still a pretty good league, there's still good players here. But, I really liked everything about his presence and what he brought to our locker room."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyCXw-kZPzY[/embed]
If this is the end of Murray's conditioning stint with the Marlies (the Maple Leafs can request a two-game extension), he finishes with one win, two losses, and a .846 save percentage. The goaltender will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
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