That “option” worked out pretty well for the Penguins.
Following Tuesday’s morning skate, Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said Matt Murray was a possibility despite just returning to practice on Monday. He had been out since April 9 with an upper-body injury. And the rookie made his coach look like a genius for going to him, registering 16 saves in his playoff debut as the Penguins regained home-ice advantage with a 3-1 victory over the Rangers at the Garden in Game 3 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
“The nerves were definitely going at the start of the game,” said the 21-year-old goaltender, who started in place of third-string goaltender Jeff Zatkoff while No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion) remains day- to-day. “I was able to control it though, and that, I think, is all you can ask for.
“It’s a moment I’ve been visualizing or dreaming about for a long time. A big focus of mine was not to get too far ahead of myself, just be in the moment.”
Murray certainly didn’t look like a wet-behind-the-ears rookie, allowing just Rick Nash’s shorthanded goal. He did catch a break when Chris Kreider’s first-period goal on a rebound was disallowed following a coach’s challenge. J.T. Miller was ruled offsides.
Murray also had the benefit of a spirited effort in front of him, with the Penguins playing their best defensive game of the series. They allowed the Rangers very few scoring chances, keeping them to the perimeter. And when he was called upon, Murray made the necessary saves to ensure the series lead would belong to the Penguins by the end of the evening.
“Seventeen shots on net kind of speaks for itself, I think,” Murray said. “We were pretty dominant. We had the puck most of the time, and when we didn’t, we defended pretty well. That definitely makes my job a little easier.
“This is what you dream about, playing in the NHL, playing in the playoffs. I tried to play it like any other hockey game. I may be young, but I’ve played this game thousands of times. It may be higher stakes, but it’s still hockey. I was trying not to put too much pressure on myself.”