Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray joined the club for an optional skate for the first time since suffering an ankle injury. Matt Murray appears to be on the mend and could be making a return sooner than previously thought. The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender took part in his first group session on Friday as part of the team’s optional morning skate and appears to be making the next step in his recovery from an ankle injury. "I think you'll seem him join practice tomorrow with us and the expectation is that he'll join us on the road trip," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Murray. Murray injured his ankle sometime late last month and it flared up on him during the warmup of his scheduled start against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 27. The late change in goal forced Ilya Samsonov back into the goal after what was a scheduled day off for the goaltender, who had just completed a season-high fifth-straight start. The goaltender was placed on long-term injured reserve when the team acquired forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues last week. He is eligible to be activated from the list as soon as Mar. 1. Murray missed nearly a month earlier this season when he injured his adductor during the morning skate ahead of his scheduled start against the Senators on Oct. 15. The oft-injured goaltender came with this reputation when the Leafs acquired him from the Senators in July to help fill their net. The 28-year-old Murray is 11-5-2 this season with a .911 save percentage. The Leafs acquired the goaltender in July from the Ottawa Senators.
