Hot take: Matt Murray will determine how far the Pens go this season

cassius

Registered User
Jul 23, 2004
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Looking back on this thread, I have to say I absolutely nailed this call.

Murray played strong down the stretch and without him stepping up, I really don't see the Pens making the playoffs. Great to see his play steadily improve down the stretch.

There is really no arguing the fact that he's literally been the whole key to the season - his strong level of play carried the Pens during the most pivotal stretch of the year. Lets hope he can continue this in the post season
 

Tender Rip

Wears long pants
Feb 12, 2007
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Shanghai, China
Can anyone give an example of a team that won the cup with its goalie playing poorly?

No?

Last year we could have gone through the Caps if Murray had been as good as in the two years prior.... BUT he clearly was not to blame to the extent other stars were.

It always takes a village. That’s the beauty of the NHL. But yes, we gotta have good goaltending to win/go deep. Like everyone else.
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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San Diego, CA
last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
Can anyone give an example of a team that won the cup with its goalie playing poorly?

No?

Last year we could have gone through the Caps if Murray had been as good as in the two years prior.... BUT he clearly was not to blame to the extent other stars were.

It always takes a village. That’s the beauty of the NHL. But yes, we gotta have good goaltending to win/go deep. Like everyone else.

Hawks in 2010.
 
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Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
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Can anyone give an example of a team that won the cup with its goalie playing poorly?

No?

Last year we could have gone through the Caps if Murray had been as good as in the two years prior.... BUT he clearly was not to blame to the extent other stars were.

It always takes a village. That’s the beauty of the NHL. But yes, we gotta have good goaltending to win/go deep. Like everyone else.

You're not far wrong there.

That said - Murray has carried this team for large stretches of this year.
 

orby

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Jun 16, 2013
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Finishing the year with a .920 save percentage is huge considering how poorly Murray's season started. The dude isn't a perfect goalie but his play since December has been stellar overall and very much in line with how he played while Fleury was here.
 

cheesedanish87

Registered User
Jun 27, 2012
10,797
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Pittsburgh
Murray has been really good since the outdoor game, maybe that was a rock bottom moment for him.

I still don't have a ton of confidence in him moving forward, but no doubt hes been really good.

We will see how he does in the playoffs.
 

Shady Machine

Registered User
Aug 6, 2010
36,691
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Murray has been really good since the outdoor game, maybe that was a rock bottom moment for him.

I still don't have a ton of confidence in him moving forward, but no doubt hes been really good.

We will see how he does in the playoffs.

If you don't have a ton of confidence in him, then you just don't trust goalies. When healthy, he's about as good as they come. Health concerns are legit, but as long as he's healthy, there might not be a goalie in the NHL I pick over him to start in the playoffs.
 

BHD

Vejmelka for Vezina
Dec 27, 2009
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Can anyone give an example of a team that won the cup with its goalie playing poorly?

Niemi with the Hawks in 2010. But that was because a) the Hawks had an unfair amount of offence and b) the other goalie (Leighton) played just as poorly.
 

UnrealMachine

Registered User
Jul 9, 2012
4,580
2,075
Pittsburgh, USA
Murray has been really good since the outdoor game, maybe that was a rock bottom moment for him.

I still don't have a ton of confidence in him moving forward, but no doubt hes been really good.

We will see how he does in the playoffs.

If only there was something Murray could do to connect better with the fans?

 

Don'tcry4mejanhrdina

Registered User
Aug 4, 2003
11,329
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This space.
Fleury is beloved because of his goofy, whimsical smile. He's the kind of man whom you'd let babysit your kids. He has a purity of heart that shines out in a rainbow of fun. He's what people who made clowns thought clowns would appear like to people, without any of the creepiness.

Murray on the other hand looks like the kind of guy who would sell your kids meth, if he hadn't already smoked it all himself.

Seriously though, Murray has been outstanding since a brutal start. How he managed to get his save percentage up to .920 after that start is beyond me. That's got to be the goaltending equivalent of scoring 50 in 50 (obviously I know 50-in-50 only applies to the first 50 games of the season but I just mean it's a similar performance).
 

Vyruz Reaper

Registered User
Oct 4, 2005
1,843
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Sunny SoCal
Fleury is beloved because of his goofy, whimsical smile. He's the kind of man whom you'd let babysit your kids. He has a purity of heart that shines out in a rainbow of fun. He's what people who made clowns thought clowns would appear like to people, without any of the creepiness.

Murray on the other hand looks like the kind of guy who would sell your kids meth, if he hadn't already smoked it all himself.

Seriously though, Murray has been outstanding since a brutal start. How he managed to get his save percentage up to .920 after that start is beyond me. That's got to be the goaltending equivalent of scoring 50 in 50 (obviously I know 50-in-50 only applies to the first 50 games of the season but I just mean it's a similar performance).


I'm curious, can someone post Murray's numbers from when he came back from injury and changed his game around?

I'd also be interested to see JMFJ's numbers in that same span.
 

Vyruz Reaper

Registered User
Oct 4, 2005
1,843
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Sunny SoCal
I'm curious, can someone post Murray's numbers from when he came back from injury and changed his game around?

I'd also be interested to see JMFJ's numbers in that same span.
upload_2019-4-5_14-11-23.png


Found some stats- insane he has .930+ SV% the last few months. I'm sure someone can find exacts. His GAA has been phenomenal in that time span too.
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,292
25,206
I'm curious, can someone post Murray's numbers from when he came back from injury and changed his game around?

I'd also be interested to see JMFJ's numbers in that same span.

Muray returned on the 15th of Dec.

Since that point, only Vasilevsky has had more wins, and Matt Murray's .931 ranks 5th among goalies playing 20 or more games.

As for Johnson's numbers - this link has all of the team's in that period - most of them don't look great for him, although his corsi is okay.
 
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cheesedanish87

Registered User
Jun 27, 2012
10,797
2,157
Pittsburgh
If you don't have a ton of confidence in him, then you just don't trust goalies. When healthy, he's about as good as they come. Health concerns are legit, but as long as he's healthy, there might not be a goalie in the NHL I pick over him to start in the playoffs.

Yeah, part of the reason i don't have full confidence in him is his health.
 

cheesedanish87

Registered User
Jun 27, 2012
10,797
2,157
Pittsburgh
If only there was something Murray could do to connect better with the fans?



If he wants to connect with me he needs to win and stay healthy throughout the playoffs.

I was not a MAF fan by the way, i complained way more about him then i ever have about Murray.

MAF was the biggest reason for the Pens failures during the Bylsma era.
 

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