Confirmed with Link: Matt Murray traded to Ottawa (Jonathan Gruden and a 2020 second-round draft pick)

[cygnus47]

I think there's some very understandable mental stuff going on, but I also think moving on from Mike Buckley was ultimately a mistake. It's hard to know which had the biggest impact.

He also had his success in a particular situation, where we were consistently controlling the game but taking risks. His job was to suck the life out of the other team by making that save when they thought they were about to even up the game. He was his best keeping a shutout in a 2-0 game, making the other team feel like they don't have a chance and it was SO calming for the team. Like the opposite of Fleury. Fleury was at his best in crazy games where we were getting owned and he had to keep us in it until we got lucky. We would be down 0-3 and he'd make 40 ten-bell saves in a row to let us get back in it. He was baaaad when we had a lead and were controlling the game and he gave up late goals like it was his job. If he had a dollar every time he screwed up a shutout late he could have bought the league. Murray just had that killer instinct when we were ahead.

In my mind, it seems like as soon as we lost that aura of invincibility, Murray lost his too. There was other stuff in his life too obviously, but that's the thing I noticed the most. It will be interesting to see how he deals with an Ottawa team that is bottoming out and just now trying to improve. Maybe having to be a veteran in the room and feeling responsible for calming things down will help him get his game back.

I hope so!

 

[Lustaf]

I'm going to miss the guy and I hope he finds nothing but success and pray that organization(ie the owner) does right by him.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I think that Desmith may be the best option as backup.

Certainly one of the cheapest.

 

[EightyOne]

Certainly one of the cheapest.

Yeah, I mean, it is kinda like a Skoda. It'll get you where you need to go, but he is no Bentley.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, I mean, it is kinda like a Skoda. It'll get you where you need to go, but he is no Bentley.

I dunno, those late 50s, early 60s Octavias are kinda boss in a 1940s gangster kinda way.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

 

[EightyOne]

This 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental is pretty damn machine gun dapper, too

 

[HandshakeLine]

This 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental is pretty damn machine gun dapper, too

Yes, but was it voted the most tolerable automobile of the Eastern Bloc, smart guy?

(Also, hell yes, that is a fine car, even if I'm more of a 1960s aesthetic kinda guy.)

 

[EightyOne]

Yes, but was it voted the most tolerable automobile of the Eastern Bloc, smart guy?

There was only one choice on that ballot and it was mandatory to vote to get the half loaf of bread!!!!!!!

 

[HandshakeLine]

There was only one choice on that ballot and it was mandatory to vote to get the half loaf of bread!!!!!!!

The country it was made in no longer exists!

 

[EightyOne]

The country it was made in no longer exists!

 

[SouthGeorge]

Dude, hindsight. And entire global pandemic happened between those two events and the Penguins were still fighting for a playoff spot.

Not really. It was the same team and we couldn't beat the Habs. Go look at the discussion thread. I was making the same arguments then. There was a lot of contenders who needed goalies and would have sent a lot more our way. Instead we wait until off-season, pay Jarry, and every team in the league knows we have to move Murray. No leverage. It was horrible asset management imo.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Yeah the market was intense for goalies, I was hoping for a late first or early 2nd and a decent prospect, low key expected JR to f*** that up and get a 3rd and some wanker of a prospect or RFA.

That list also doesn’t even cover the goalies that were “on the market” via trade.

Apparently blokes like Grubauer, Francouz, Koskinen, Andersen, the CBJ goalies, Mrazek, Fleury (lol), were all also available, in addition to those free agents.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think there's some very understandable mental stuff going on, but I also think moving on from Mike Buckley was ultimately a mistake. It's hard to know which had the biggest impact.

He also had his success in a particular situation, where we were consistently controlling the game but taking risks. His job was to suck the life out of the other team by making that save when they thought they were about to even up the game. He was his best keeping a shutout in a 2-0 game, making the other team feel like they don't have a chance and it was SO calming for the team. Like the opposite of Fleury. Fleury was at his best in crazy games where we were getting owned and he had to keep us in it until we got lucky. We would be down 0-3 and he'd make 40 ten-bell saves in a row to let us get back in it. He was baaaad when we had a lead and were controlling the game and he gave up late goals like it was his job. If he had a dollar every time he screwed up a shutout late he could have bought the league. Murray just had that killer instinct when we were ahead.

In my mind, it seems like as soon as we lost that aura of invincibility, Murray lost his too. There was other stuff in his life too obviously, but that's the thing I noticed the most. It will be interesting to see how he deals with an Ottawa team that is bottoming out and just now trying to improve. Maybe having to be a veteran in the room and feeling responsible for calming things down will help him get his game back.

I hope so!

Buckley is still our coach. Do you mean Bales?

 

[ChaosAgent]

I'll give JR credit on this:

It was a smart move to target Ottawa, who had a bunch of 2nds burning a hole in their pocket.

Good return.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Buckley is still our coach. Do you mean Bales?

Bales was Fleurys goalie coach. He left when Fleury was traded and his guy was gone.

Buckley works with both Murray And Jarry and Chiodo with the prospects and at times Jarry.

 

[Gurglesons]

Bales was Fleurys goalie coach. He left when Fleury was traded and his guy was gone.

Buckley works with both Murray And Jarry and Chiodo with the prospects and at times Jarry.

Yes, I know.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Yes, I know.

So that one tosser of all tossers can stop that pity party for Murray. Murray might be a decent bloke. But his game was absolutely a mess the last two years and I look forward to never discuss him here again. But wankers here love to dredge up old shit.

 

[Shady Machine]

So that one tosser of all tossers can stop that pity party for Murray. Murray might be a decent bloke. But his game was absolutely a mess the last two years and I look forward to never discuss him here again. But wankers here love to dredge up old shit.

You keep getting weirder

 

[Honour Over Glory]

You keep getting weirder

It was the narrative by a poster here. Saw it odd.

 

[EightyOne]

Funny that praise be to JR for getting a "good" return now

When

The writing was on the damn wall during the season when he could have really been bold and gotten a really good return

But okay

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Funny that praise be to JR for getting a "good" return now

When

The writing was on the damn wall during the season when he could have really been bold and gotten a really good return

But okay

Not so much as praise, mate, as it’s “good job doing your job somewhat competently for once.”

 

[JTG]

My problem with Murray was that he stopped controlling the game. He used to calmly freeze the puck and not allow things to get out of hand.

Yeah, his game definitely changed. That calm, cool demeanor where everything was methodical and easy disappeared. In the two Cup runs, very rare to get a bad goal by him where he made a mental mistake. Some goals now you wondered what he was even thinking.

It's an unfortunate end, really, and it sure as hell didn't turn out how I thought it would.

 

[Crosbyfan]