BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Murr Dawg is off the leash.
That’s right.
After 628 days of rehab, recovery, and refining, Matt Murray has finally returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ crease.
The 30-year-old goaltender was recalled Friday morning and will get the start against the spiraling Buffalo Sabres.
Prospect Dennis Hildeby, 23, who was busy stretching in the bowels of KeyBank Center when the transaction was made, returns to the AHL Marlies.
Murray’s long-awaited NHL look comes on the heels of Wednesday’s shutout performance in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., over the junior Penguins and a year and half of behind-the-scenes dedication to the craft.
“That's encouraging. That’s great for him and the Marlies,” Leafs coach Craig Berube had said Wednesday night in Dallas.
“This guy’s got a lot of experience, and he's won. So, we’re gonna look at everything and make some decisions.”
Murray’s painstaking return from bilateral hip surgery — a major procedure that essentially robbed him of the full 2023-24 season — has paid off with some impressive performances down on the farm.
The two-time Stanley Cup winner is 4-1-2 this season, with a sparkling 1.85 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage.
Having endured multiple injuries and prolonged rehabilitation himself, teammate Max Pacioretty has a unique appreciation for what Murray went through to reach a night like Friday.
“It’s hard to almost remember what you've done, what you’ve accomplished, because it seems like all the noise is always in the moment, whether it’s the injury or what has happened lately,” Pacioretty said. “In reality, you got to take each day as it comes. And you never know when it’s going to be all over.
“He’s probably had some times where he thought it might be. I definitely did as well. And you definitely don’t want to take any of those days for granted.”
Understandably, the Maple Leafs would prefer to keep the developing Hildeby (2-1-0, .875) — and fellow prospect Artur Akhtyamov, for that matter — busy in the minors as they continue to battle for an Atlantic Division crown without the services of Anthony Stolarz (knee) for four to six weeks.
With a healthy and festive contingent of Leafs fans making the drive westbound on the QEW, Murray and the Leafs will attempt to extend the Sabres’ disastrous winless streak to 12 games.
The good news for Buffalo is that its captain and best defenceman, Rasmus Dahlin, will return to action for the first time since Dec. 3.
“Great player. Great skater. Obviously, very important to this team. As far as offensive defencemen go, he’s one of those guys that can really impact the game,” Morgan Rielly said. “He’s a big part of what they’re doing.”
Former Leafs forward Sam Lafferty (lower body) is likely to play as well, while Ryan McLeod (undisclosed) is a game-time decision for the Sabres.
Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll and top centre Auston Matthews were both held off the morning skate due to maintenance but will dress Friday.
Matthews hasn’t had his usual pop since missing nine games due to an undisclosed lower-body injury last month.
“It’s tough. I mean, he’s fighting through it,” Berube said. “He’s doing a pretty good job out there on the ice. Like, he’s producing and playing hard and working. We just got to manage it.
“It’ll get better. We just got to manage it, though. And that's why he’s off the ice today.”
Puck drops at 7:08 p.m. ET at KeyBank Center.
Maple Leafs projected lineup Friday in Buffalo:
Nylander – Matthews – Marner
Knies – Tavares – Pacioretty
McMann – Domi – Robertson
Holmberg – Kämpf – Lorentz
Rielly – Timmins
Ekman-Larsson – Tanev
Benoit – McCabe
Murray starts
Woll
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