TORONTO — Veteran goaltender Matt Murray, within the midst of a comeback season with the Maple Leafs, will likely be out by the NHL All-Star break and Toronto’s subsequent bye week, coach Sheldon Keefe stated on Sunday.
Murray is nursing an ankle harm, however Keefe informed reporters that it is not anticipated to maintain him out long-term.
Murray, 28, was scheduled to start out Friday’s 6-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, one in every of his former groups, however was a late scratch. Ilya Samsonov, additionally in his first season with the Maple Leafs, began that recreation in addition to Sunday’s 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals.
“There’s one thing there that is going to require a while for certain,” Keefe stated of Murray’s harm. “The size of time we cannot fairly know actually till we come again from the break. We’ll have a greater concept of precisely the place that is at.”
Samsonov made 23 saves in his sixth straight begin, and Morgan Rielly scored his first aim of the season as Toronto bounced again in a matinee recreation.
Michael Bunting, William Nylander, Pierre Engvall and Zach Aston-Reese additionally scored for Toronto within the win, because the Maple Leafs took a five-point benefit over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place within the Atlantic Division.
“We needed to reply,” Rielly stated of Friday’s efficiency towards Ottawa. “We weren’t very pleased with ourselves after we had been leaving right here after that recreation.”
Keefe additionally talked about pregame that Samsonov’s prolonged workload of late was not a direct results of Murray’s harm, saying that the group needed to provide Samsonov “a run.” And he is delivered. Samsonov, 25, who signed with Toronto in free company after being lower unfastened by Washington this summer time, is now 16-5-2 with a 2.37 goals-against common.
Murray, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins, is 11-5-2 with a 2.73 GAA.
Toronto additionally introduced earlier than the sport star ahead Auston Matthews (knee) was formally placed on injured reserve, and that defenseman TJ Brodie (rib) was activated off IR.
The Maple Leafs will play their final recreation earlier than the break on Wednesday, once they tackle the first-place Boston Bruins.
The Related Press contributed to this report.