Senators goalie Murray 'outstanding' in 'weird' loss against former teammates

The storybook ending would have had Matt Murray shut out his former Pittsburgh Penguins team in a rousing win in front of a loud Ottawa crowd at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Stories run a little differently these days. The Penguins, who have their own idea of a feel-good ending to the season, brought their A-game to face the Senators and were deserving of Thursday’s 2-0 win.

If it weren’t for Murray’s brilliant goaltending, the score could have been worse. As to that loud crowd, let’s just say that automated fan noise, combined with a capped audience of 500, does not create an inspiring atmosphere.

Had Murray been provided with some run support, it might have ended differently.

Murray stopped 42 of the 43 shots he faced. Pittsburgh’s 44th shot entered an empty net as Murray was pulled for an extra skater.

“We played a team that is rolling right now and they sure came to play tonight,” Murray said. “They were dialed in in all aspects of the game. It felt like they were all over us on the forecheck. It was nothing that we did, just a pretty textbook game by them.

“We battled. We stayed in the game. If we get one, it could have gone either way.”

Incredibly, this was Murray’s first game against his old team, and he was traded 16 months ago. Blame circumstances and the usual – the coronavirus pandemic that created a unique North Division of Canadian teams last season and has limited crowds this season (restrictions are expected to loosen next week).

Drafted by Pittsburgh 83rd overall from the OHL Soo Greyhounds, Murray was a part of the Penguins organization for six years and helped them win two Stanley Cups, in 2016 and 2017.

In the fall of 2020, Pittsburgh moved on from Murray, trading him to Ottawa for a B-list prospect (Jonathan Gruden) and a second-round draft choice because the Pens were sold on Tristan Jarry as their future in goal.

Any chance of Murray meeting his old team in 2021 disappeared in the pandemic-driven scheduling of last year. So, on to 2021-22. Murray surely circled Nov. 13 on his calendar, with the Senators at home to Pittsburgh that night. But he caught COVID-19 in November and then was ill with a cold virus when the Senators visited Pittsburgh Jan. 20.

It should have been a massive disappointment, and yet something happened that night – an outpouring of support from Pittsburgh fans as a video tribute was shown of Murray, and he stood for an ovation from Penguins fans. Murray, a quiet, introspective man, was visibly moved by the fan salute, even if he was in street clothes as he patted his heart in response. His play has turned around since spending time in the minors just before Christmas.

Murray has won five of his past eight starts and, in his last five games, Murray has posted a save percentage of .931 or better. On Thursday, he was .977 against Pittsburgh, as the reunion finally happened. Instead of facing Jarry, Murray was up against Jarry’s backup, Casey DeSmith.

As has been his pattern recently, Murray settled in early, making some important stops until his team got going. During his rough starts earlier this season and last, he would give up early goals that deflated his team.

The restored Murray lifts his team. Keeps them in games.

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He did that on Thursday, stopping Jeff Carter on a shorthanded breakaway in the second period and Jake Guentzel from the slot. And this was after he had stopped a Carter tip in the first period and a Brock McGinn rebound among his bits of larceny.

Carter did beat Murray in the second period, following a Sens giveaway in their own zone. Murray had no chance on the laser to the top corner, glove side. But the role of a No. 1 goaltender is to give his team a chance, and Murray did that, giving up just that one goal off 25 Penguins shots through two periods.

“I tried to, you know, take it as any other game,” Murray said. “It’s been two years in the making. I missed them a couple of times, with the weird alignment last year. So, nice to get it over with, I’ll say that.”

Earlier in the day, Murray crossed paths with his former mates, walking through the corridor while the Penguins were playing a bit of game day soccer. Sidney Crosby stopped playing to greet Murray with a handshake and a hug.

Murray admitted it was the oddest sight – all those Pittsburgh jerseys coming at him.

“It was weird, for sure,” he said. “We started the game, and I know firsthand how dangerous those guys are offensively. But it felt like a practice, almost. I’ve seen them practice for so many years. It was different for sure.”

Asked if he was pleased that his buddy Crosby didn’t score goal No. 500, Murray seemed oblivious.

“Oh, I didn’t even know,” Murray said. “I got to see Sid get so many milestones along the way, I had no idea he was that close. But I’m sure he’s going to hit a ton more milestones here in the next couple of years. He’s a special player.”

OK, then. So much for the stress of facing Sid at 499.

Head coach D.J. Smith had no complaints about his team’s effort, and certainly not of Murray’s performance.

“Murr was outstanding, let’s be clear there,” Smith said. “He gave us every opportunity to win. We just couldn’t generate enough. Give Pittsburgh credit. They were skating, they came to play today. That’s not the team we saw in Pittsburgh (a wild 6-4 Penguins win Jan. 20). They checked. They gave you nothing.

“Those are tough games for young guys because there’s not a lot of room out there. We needed a power-play goal for us to compete.”

The Senators had just one power-play opportunity to Pittsburgh’s two. Neither team scored with the extra man.

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After nursing their 1-0 lead to the bitter end, the Penguins added an empty-net goal in the dying seconds by Bryan Rust, who had missed a glorious chance in the first period by shooting wide.

This was a night when Ottawa was sorely missing the offence of top scorers Drake Batherson and Josh Norris. Mind you, the Penguins were missing Evgeni Malkin, but they are deep enough in talent and veterans to compensate.

“We’re squeezing, and doing everything we can,” Smith said. “And some nights we get some goals we didn’t expect to get, and then there are nights like tonight. They really honed in on Timmy (Stützle) and Brady (Tkachuk), and stayed on top of them.

Smith credited his line of Nick Paul, Connor Brown and Alex Formenton for doing a nice job on the Crosby line, as well as getting the best chances of the game for Ottawa. Brown sent Formenton in alone and DeSmith made a good save.

The Senators didn’t feel they were flat, as much as the Penguins made them look that way.

Still, the Senators sit 2-1, three games into this five-games-in-seven-days stretch. Suddenly, that Saturday matinee against a wounded Boston Bruins team looms large. If Ottawa can beat Boston, missing Patrice Bergeron (concussion) and Brad Marchand (suspension), it will make the week a success, regardless of what happens in Washington Sunday, when the Senators meet the Capitals in a pre-Super Bowl game.

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