Matt Murray has been out of commission for the Pittsburgh Penguins last seven games. His last contest was February 24th against the Florida Panthers where Murray stepped in to relieve Tristan Jarry in the second period. Jarry would let in four goals before being replaced. Murray turned away 14 out of the 16 shots he faced, but the game ended in a 6-5 loss. However, it wasn’t until Murray took a shot to the mask in practice two days later, that sidelined the 23-year-old netminder with a concussion.
Matt Murray Traveling with Penguins on Road Trip
The Penguins lost their next two games after Matt Murray’s departure from the net. However, altogether since Murray’s absence, his team’s record has been 4-3-0. With the Penguins a shoe-in for the playoffs, and the team maintaining a respectable record without Murray, there has been no need to rush him back. Before Tuesday, Murray had begun to take controlled shots, simply for conditioning. However, the news has gotten better for Penguins fans, as it was reported that during Tuesday’s practice, Murray was taking full shots.
Great News For Pittsburgh
Matt Murray will now be traveling with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip to New York and Montreal. The team’s first game will be March 14th against the New York Rangers, followed by a journey up above the 49th to face the Montreal Canadiens. The Penguins will then head back to the state of New York to battle the New York Islanders. The Penguins play back to back days during this road trip, on both Wednesday and Thursday. They will then have a full four days of rest before their last tilt of the trip.
Murray has not been involved in a full practice with the team. The full shots he took on Tuesday where during a separate skate, before the team’s practice. Wednesday’s game against the Rangers is likely too soon for him to return to action. The same may go for the following day’s matchup against the Canadiens. Out of the teams the Penguins will be facing, the first two games pose the least amount of threat. As such, both teams should be able to be faced with Jarry or Casey DeSmith in net.
When Will Murray Be Back?
Murray would not be traveling with the team if he was not on the verge of returning to play. It may still be just under a week away until that is the case, though. The most likely game for Murray’s return to the crease is Tuesday, March 20th against the Islanders. If this is the game Matt Murray makes his first start back, he will have missed nine games overall.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
