The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that Marc-Andre Fleury is out with a concussion. The timeline of the recovery for that concussion has yet to be revealed, but they are currently listing it as indefinitely. As an outsider looking in, it looks like a scenario where the Penguins could be golfing come late April. However, their situation may not be that dire.
The Penguins have themselves an ace in the hole by the name of Matt Murray. Who is that you may ask? He is a 22-year-old goaltender from Thunder Bay, Ontario, who may end up being the Penguins saving grace. His credentials, while not long, are rather impressive. In his two seasons in the AHL, he has yet to post anything lower than a .930 sv% which is good enough to put him into the upper echelon of all minor league goaltenders. Is it enough though to put a weary Yinzer at ease?
His sample size in the NHL is awfully small but it is encouraging. Murray has a .926 sv% this year in eight games played. Eight games is enough to be considered “streaky” but the games have been spread out over such a long period of time, it should only inspire confidence. In fact, in the eight games he has played, he has a higher even strength save percentage at .944 than Fleury or the Pens former backup, Jeff Zatkoff.
It may not be enough to keep outsiders at bay, but for those that have seen Murray extensively they believe he has the goods to carry the team in the playoffs. Penguins fans sure hope so.
