Matt Murray to be Penguins backup goalie for Game 7
For Wednesday night’s Game 7 against the Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have Matt Murray available as a backup.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a 3-1 series lead over the Washington Capitals evaporate into a do-or-die Game 7 Wednesday night. The Capitals have scored nine goals over the last two games as goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has started to show chinks in his armor.
Fleury was pressed into starting duty when Matt Murray was injured during warmups before Game 1 of Pittsburgh’s first round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Fleury has a 7-4 record, a 2.78 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage this postseason.
Murray has been making some progress from his lower body injury recently, starting to skate last week and eventually progressing to doing so in full gear. A goalie switch is not necessarily imminent, but Murray will be available for Wednesday night’s Game 7.
Coach Sullivan says Matt Murray is progressing and is healthy enough to back up tonight.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 10, 2017
Murray is healthy enough to play, which is good news if something happens to Fleury. Tristan Jarry (and his one career NHL start) has been Fleury’s backup to this point. A quick hook does not appear to be in the cards for Game 7 unless Fleury really struggles, but a goaltender controversy could be coming if the Penguins advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
In 49 regular season games this year, Murray had a 32-10-4 record with a 2.41 goal against average, a .923 save percentage and four shutouts. That win total and save percentage were each top-10 in the league.
Washington has seemed to wear Fleury down over the course of the last two games, with three third period goals in each contest. If that happens again in Game 7, it may be too late for coach Mike Sullivan to turn to Murray and attempt to save the season.