Just when it looked like the Ottawa Senators were close to recovery with center Josh Norris returning from a shoulder injury, the club would have to end this five-game road trip without top goalkeeper Matt Murray, as he follows suit on Sunday. Couldn't do it. At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Murray ended the club's 8-5 loss to the Coyotes after Arizona's Antoine Russell struck teammate Nikita Zaitsev with about 10 minutes left in the third period, the veteran goaltender not fit for Sunday night's game in Vegas. Golden Nights.
It was the 11th game that 26-year-old Murray missed this season due to injury and although there is nothing you can do about these ailments, it is a difficult situation for everyone.
At this point, Murray was out indefinitely and coach D.J. Smith did not provide an update on his condition when he spoke to reporters ahead of the game in Las Vegas. He was placed on injured-reserve just before the puck was dropped in Vegas, meaning he would not be eligible to play until next Monday.
Although there were plans to introduce Anton Forsberg in this one in Vegas, the Senators called on their AHL colleague in Belleville to prepare Philip Gustavson as backup. He was due to start Saturday night at home against the Rochester Americans, but was replaced by Kevin Mandolies at the last minute.
Gustavsson arrived just in time to be on the ice for the warmup.
Murray could do nothing to avoid a collision, but he was slowly getting up and shaking his head as he spoke to an official before the game started. Zaitsev was trying to defend Roussel driving over the net and began making contact with Murray's head.
Staying healthy has been a big issue for Murray since he moved here in October, 2020 in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The two-time Stanley Cup champions had to stabilize the club's goalscoring abilities and failed to advance. Any kind of roll due to injury issues.
Lately, it's been a struggle for Murray. He conceded eight goals on 31 shots against the Coyotes and while the Senators weren't very good in front of him, the club needed a save or two as they struggled to take 5-4 back from a 4-0 deficit. Lead in the third period, only to slip it.
Murray allowed five goals on 22 shots against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night to start the journey. In two matches, he has allowed 13 goals on 53 shots which is equal to .755 saving-percentage and 6.61 goals-average and no team can win with such numbers.
It's too bad that Murray slipped so far in his last two games because he was playing well and what the former Senators expected when they got him from the Penguins. He spent a month with Belleville and it gave him a chance to get his game back on track.
He is devoid of victories in seven consecutive matches, but was in great numbers in the first five games and was not receiving aggressive support. He had a save-percentage of .920 before these last two games, ranked in the top 25 in the NHL, but is now at .906 with a 3.05 GAA.
You can't win unless you're saving and as much as the Senators made mistakes on their end on Saturday, Murray needed to make a stop or two to hold the club in the game.
Fortunately, the senators have Forsberg to fall back on until Murray recovers, with no specific timetable for his return.
As noted in This Space on Saturday, general manager Pierre Dorian is trying to determine which route to take with the 29-year-old Forsberg on the deadline, but it's a good bet that the trade ends on March 21. After that he will be around.
The reality is that Forsberg has been reliable and has given the Senators a chance to win almost every time they step into the net. Yes, he's an unrestricted free agent over the summer, but Gustavson hasn't shown any consistency this season and Dorian would like him to end the season at Belleville.
Some teams have called for tire kicking on Forsberg, but no serious interest as he has no playoff experience and hasn't been tabbed as someone who could be the solution for a contender looking for a starter. could. He did a good job in the role he played here in Ottawa.
There's no need for senators to decide on Forsberg's future right now. Let him finish the year and then decide whether you want to keep him with you or not. Yes, he's been solid, but Gustavsson is signed on a one-way deal next year and you can't have three goaltenders.
The Senators will kick off the trip on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues and face the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. It will come as no surprise to see Gustavsson get the net in one of these next two matches. If he's going to be here, the club might have an eye on him as well.