Leafs Coach Craig Berube Takes Notice of Statement Game From Matt Murray

Matt Murray made a statement with a dominant performance Wednesday for the Toronto Marlies, which caught the attention of Leafs head coach Craig Berube.

The Maple Leafs and Murray shocked everyone when the two sides agreed on a 1-year deal in July after the 30-year-old missed the entire 2023-24 season after undergoing bi-lateral hip surgery.

It has been a long road back for Murray, who just returned to the Marlies' lineup after another injury, but many expect him to return to the NHL in the near future.

While it was expected he would return after the NHL roster freeze, which kicks in at midnight Thursday and lasts until December 27th, his dominant performance with the Marlies last night caught the attention of Berube, which could result in an earlier recall.

Murray posted a 27-save shutout and raised his save percentage in eight games with the Marlies to a ridiculous .931 and lowered his GAA to 1.85.

Following the Leafs' 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars, Berube was asked about Murray's performance and hinted at the two-time Stanley Cup Champion joining the Leafs ahead of the NHL's roster freeze instead of after.

With Anthony Stolarz out for at least a month after having a procedure on his knee the Leafs will lean on Joseph Woll for the majority of starts, but with two sets of back-to-backs coming up, the Leafs will be careful as to not overwork the 26-year-old and could look to the more experienced Murray to provide relief and let Dennis Hildeby continue to develop and play more with the Marlies.

The Leafs have three games over the next five days before the Christmas break and we could very well see three different goalies start, but that will depend on how Brad Treliving manages the roster ahead of the roster freeze, given the fact that the Leafs are at the 23-man limit.

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