Penguins Matt Murray Could Return Tomorrow vs. Tampa Bay

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray believes he is ready to return to the lineup after missing one game with an upper-body injury. Murray addressed reporters Friday after the Penguins practice at Amelia Arena in Tampa Bay.

Murray did not dress Thursday night when the Penguins lost to the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime. Backup Casey DeSmith stopped 39 of 42 shots, including too many Grade A chances against.

Murray believes he will be ready to play tomorrow against Tampa Bay or by Monday against Philadelphia.

“For sure. I think so. I wouldn’t have skated today if I didn’t feel good,” Murray said. “I’m progressing well.

Murray, 24, is 15-9-1 with a 2.97 goals against average and a .909 save percentage, including a torrid nine-game winning streak from Dec. 15 to Jan. 11. The Penguins netminder was a “full go” at practice, Friday.

Murray has missed games nine times in his career due to injury, though a one-game absence may not be a blip on that radar. However, the potential for an extended absence and the injury history did raise eyebrows when it was first announced.

“It is what it is. It’s part of the game. It’s a fast game out there and things happen,” Murray said. “I don’t think it’s worth getting frustrated over.”

“I’m just trying to stop the puck. I do whatever I can to do that and sometimes I go a little too far and get injured or something unlucky might happen. You get a weird bounce or weird shot off the head, something like that.”

The Penguins face the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow. Tampa Bay has a league-best 82 points, which is nine better than the next closest team, the Calgary Flames and 13 points better than the second best team in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs.