Saturday's Goaltending Announcement for the Leafs Spells Trouble for Matt Murray
After being recalled by the Maple Leafs following a scintillating 4-game stretch with the Marlies, the writing is already on the wall for goaltender Matt Murray.
After a disappointing loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in Ottawa to take on one of their most heated rivals tonight in the Ottawa Senators.
A recent report from TSN's Darren Dreger has indicated that Anthony Stolarz is very close to a return, so when the Leafs recalled Matt Murray from the Toronto Marlies, it was believed that he could potentially start tonight against Ottawa. That, however, is not the case.
According to David Alter of The Hockey News, Joseph Woll occupied the visitors net at the Leafs' morning skate and is the projected starter against the Sens tonight on Hockey Night in Canada.
Not only is Woll starting tonight against the Senators, but Anthony Stolarz has also accompanied the team in Ottawa and was spotted on the ice with his teammates for the 3rd consecutive skate.
With Craig Berube recently confirming that Stolarz was a bit ahead of schedule in his recovery from knee surgery, it would appear as though it's entirely possible that Murray will not see any playing time during his most recent recall.
The 30-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ontario has been on a heater as of late, posting two shutouts and a .970 save percentage over his last 4 games combined. Quite the run of success for a guy who struggled mightily in his most recent NHL appearances.
If Stolarz is not quite ready to return on January 29th against the Minnesota Wild, there's still a chance that Murray could get a start in that game. However, if Stolarz is as close to a return as he seems to be, we could see Murray sent back to the Marlies in the coming days as the Leafs return to full health in net.
