Keefe identifies Leafs' top player on Thursday night
When Matt Murray was acquired via trade this off season from the Ottawa Senators, many Leaf fans were worried about what kind of performances they would see in the team's net on a night-to-night basis. Murray has spent a lot of time injured over the past couple seasons, and when he has played, he has not been very good. Then, after an underwhelming performance in his Leafs debut during the season opener, Murray injured his adductor during a morning skate after just one game with the Blue and White.
However, since returning from injury, Murray has been impressive. In fact, when Sheldon Keefe spoke with the media last night, he identified Matt Murray as the reason the team recorded a point in last night's 3 - 2 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils. Murray stopped 30 of 33 shots faced. Additionally, he made some spectacular saves when the team was down, keeping the game within reach.
This is a particularly good sign for the 28-year-old goaltender, as it was his second good outing in a row. On Tuesday night, Murray stopped 35 of 37 shots in the team's 5 - 2 win over the Penguins, skating away with a .946 SV%.
While the season is still early and Matt Murray still has a lot to prove, his play over the past couple games is encouraging. Because Ottawa retained a quarter of his salary, he carries a cap hit of $4.6875 million on the Leafs' cap. At that number, the buds expect him to play like a number one. Since returning from injury, he has done just that.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 18 | 201 ANSWERS Keefe identifies Leafs' top player on Thursday night Was Matt Murray the Leafs' best player against the Devils on Thursday? | ||
| Without a doubt | 143 | 71.1 % |
| He was good, but not the best | 53 | 26.4 % |
| He was just okay | 5 | 2.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
