Double Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Matt Murray crossed swords for the first time against his former team, Thursday, in front of the net of the Ottawa Senators and even if he excelled, he would have liked a better conclusion.
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The “Sens” left the Ontario goaltender to himself at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Penguins won 2-0, only managing to outmaneuver Murray once on 44 shots.
“I tried to perceive this game like any other, said the 27-year-old athlete, whose comments were taken up by the site of the National Hockey League (NHL) at the end of the meeting.
“I had been waiting for this duel for two years. Going into the game, I knew better than anyone how dangerous these guys are on offense. It almost felt like training, seeing them play for so many years. Of course it was different, I found it strange.
After a stellar start to his career in Pittsburgh, where he went 117-53-19 with a .914 save percentage, and stole the starting goaltender job from Marc-André Fleury, Murray called home in the Canadian capital. Acquired by trade, he was offered a four-year, $25 million contract by general manager Pierre Dorion.
The Cerberus had a dizzying fall in Ottawa. This season, after a string of disappointing performances, he went on waivers and joined the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League. However, he was able to raise the bar on his recall, so he now has a 5-7-2 record, a 2.61 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
