Murray ready to return this week
Goaltender sidelined with neck strain back on ice Tuesday, says he feels good
Matt Murray is ready for a return.
After leaving the net following two periods of a 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets last Thursday because of a neck strain, the Ottawa Senators top goaltender was back on the ice Tuesday for the second straight day and is expected to get the green light to suit up in one of the two remaining games against the Toronto Maple Leafs this week.
“I feel good. I've been full go at practice the last two days,” Murray said during a Zoom call from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. “It was a bit of a scare. It could have been a lot worse, but I started feeling a little bit better two days after it, so I went with a full morning skate (Monday) and I had a really good practice (Tuesday).”
Though Murray got off to a tough start to the season, just like everybody else on the Senators, he was coming around and starting to show consistency.
“I felt pretty good and I've felt pretty good about my game in general this year, about the way I feel out there,” Murray added. “You're always working to get better and you're never satisfied, but I felt really good about where my game was. I take every day as it comes.”
Backup Marcus Hogberg did a strong job in the third period of the Senators' stunning 6-5 comeback overtime win over the Leafs on Monday night after a tough start in the first 40 minutes.
Murray said he had a good working relationship with Hogberg and it was important for both goalies to establish that.
“As goaltenders, you always tend to gravitate toward each other naturally,” Murray said. “We all tend to have the same personalties and tend to get along pretty well. We're kind of on our own back there because we kind of have our own role compared to what other guys are going through.
“I've never really had a problem having a relationship with the other goalie. I've been sitting and talking a lot with Hoggy. We bounce things off each other and that's just like every partnership I've played in. That's important because sometimes that's the only guy on the team that knows what you're going through.”
READY TO RETURN
Defenceman Erik Brannstrom, who missed four consecutive games because of an unspecified injury, skated with the Senators on Tuesday and is expected to return to the lineup against the Leafs.
Hit by Edmonton's Josh Archibald early in a 3-1 loss at home on Feb. 8, Brannstrom played 15:07 that night, but was sore by the next morning. He's been skating since Saturday and has been given medical clearance to play.
Brannstrom has shown an ability to move the puck and should be a nice fit.
“(Brannstrom) is a really good player,” said alternate captain Erik Gudbranson, who has been Brannstrom's defence partner. “I really didn't know anything about him when I first got here. I had a little chuckle the first time I met him because (the six-foot-five Gudbranson) was in my skates and (the five-foot-nine Brannstrom) wasn't wearing his skates. There was a bit of a size difference there.
“For a kid who's that size, he's incredibly brave, he plays the game hard and he likes puck possession. He's a smart, smart player and he's been a pleasure to play with. He just puts his nose down and goes to work. He's played extremely well with me and I'm lucky to get a shot with him.”
ZUB TURNS HEADS
Defenceman Artem Zub scored his first NHL goal Monday and you could say it was a key in the comeback against the Leafs because it pulled the Senators to within two goals early in the third period.
Signed as a free agent last May, Zub, 25, has spent his whole pro career in Russia. It's fair to say he has helped stabilize the Senators' back end. He wasn't brought here to provide offence, but he showed good touch in beating Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen on that third-period breakaway.
“He's been very good. He's played pro hockey for a long time now, so his transition to this league is a little bit more seamless than some guys coming out of junior,” Gudbranson said.
“He's very cerebral. He keeps himself in a good position, he's strong on his feet, he's a good passer and puck-mover.
“To be honest, I've seen that in practice, and I was on the ice for that (goal), when I saw him come out of the box, and saw (Chris) Tierney make that pass to him. I thought to myself, `This is a goal.' I was so happy for him to get that first goal the way he did.”
THE LAST WORDS
Defenceman Thomas Chabot and centre Colin White weren't on the ice with the Senators on Tuesday. Chabot played 27 minutes, 58 seconds, against the Leafs, while White was on the ice for 16:25. “Just maintenance days for those guys. We've got a lot of games in a lot of days,” Senators head coach D.J. Smith said. … Centre Logan Brown, who has struggled with injuries throughout his career, is day-to-day with an unspecified ailment with the AHL's Belleville Senators. So is forward Filip Chlapik. Neither was scheduled to play in Game 3 of a four-game set against the Laval Rocket in Montreal. If Brown had shown anything in the two games, he would have been a candidate to be recalled to Toronto to join the NHL group. … The Senators sent goaltender Filip Gustavsson back to Belleville on Tuesday and moved Joey Daccord to the taxi squad with Murray's return to the lineup.