OTTAWA – Thunder Bay’s Matt Murray has gotten the nod for a crucial Game 4 Eastern Conference Final match against the Ottawa Senators.
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan made it official on Friday.
"Matt Murray is going to play goal," head coach Mike Sullivan informed the media, according to the team's officials website. "I'm not going to elaborate on the coaches' decision. That's the decision we made. We made it for Game 4. We'll see how it goes."
Murray, who suffered a lower-body injury during warm-ups before the opening game of their opening round NHL playoff series against the Columbus Blue Jackets, finally returning to the Penguins line-up as a back-up to Marc-Andre Fleury at the end of their second-round series against the Washington Capitals.
The 22-year-old goaltender took over from Fleury in Game 3, after the former first-overall draft pick gave up four goals in the opening period against the normally defensive Senators. Murray allowed just one goal on 20 shots and Sullivan decided to make the switch with Pittsburgh trailing Ottawa 2-1 in the best-of-seven affair.
Murray last season tied an NHL rookie record, winning 15 games en route to leading the Penguins to their fourth Stanley Cup championship.
“Marc was a professional like he always is,” Sullivan is quoted as saying on the team’s Twitter account.
