Murray stopped all 38 shots that he faced in the Penguins shutout win in Toronto last Thursday. It was a shocking shutout for Murray, who had allowed a combined 11 goals in his first two starts. Tonight he will face an Oilers team, that is great when Connor McDavid is on the ice, but not so much when he’s not.
Benning was forced to leave Thursday’s game vs. the Bruins after playing just 2:27 TOI and did not return. With Benning out, Jason Garrison will likely return to the lineup vs. the Predators.
Murray allowed five goals on 29 shots in the Penguins loss to the Canadiens on October 6th. Murray was briefly sidelined by a concussion, but it looks like he’ll be back in the crease tonight in Toronto. It’s a terrible matchup for Murray, who has allowed a combined 11 goals on 65 shots (.831 SV%) in his first two starts of the season
Murray allowed five goals on 29 shots in the Penguins loss to the Canadiens on October 6th. Murray was briefly sidelined by a concussion, but it looks like he’ll be back in the crease tonight in Toronto. It’s a terrible matchup for Murray, who has allowed a combined 11 goals on 65 shots (.831 SV%) in his first two starts of the season.
Benning was a healthy scratch vs. the Rangers on Saturday afternoon, but will replace Evan Bouchard tonight in Winnipeg. Benning has failed to record a point with a minus-3 rating in his first two games of the season.
Murray has been ruled out for tonight’s game against Vegas, but the fact that he is already on the ice is good news. It is hard to pinpoint a timeline when dealing with a concussion, but it doesn’t look like Murray will be out long-term.
The Penguins do not play until Thursday, but it seems unlikely that Murray will be available after being diagnosed with a concussion. The Penguins are expected to provide an update on their goalie’s status following Tuesday’s practice session.
Murray allowed six goals on 36 shots, but still walked away with a win vs. the Capitals on Thursday. It wasn’t a great start to the season for the young netminder, but there should be better days ahead. He is a must-start tonight vs. a Montreal team that is expected to finish in the bottom-third of the league this season.
Murray had a tough time with injuries last season. He was started under 50 games for the last two seasons and is tied for 19th in SV% (.915) and 23rd in GAA (2.66) over that stretch. Tonight he faces the Capitals, who smashed the Bruins 7-0 last night. Murray was 2-2-0 with a 3.01 GAA and .899 SV% against Washington last year.
Pacioretty is entering the final season of a six-year, $27M contract that he signed back in 2012. Despite a down-year in 2018, Pacioretty has been one of the NHL’s most consistent goal-scorers in recent years, scoring 30-plus goals in five of the last six (full 82 game) seasons. Since 2011-12, Pacioretty ranks ninth in the NHL in goals (206) and 25th in points (399). A career-worst 8.0 shooting percentage can be to blame for last year’s drop in production. Expect Pacioretty to thrive on a powerful Vegas offence and return to 30-goals in 2019.
Mermis spent most of the 2018 season in the AHL, where he had two goals and 17 assists (19 points) in 59 games with Tucson. He had a nine-game stint with the Coyotes and will fight for a spot as their No.6/7 defenseman in training camp.
Tavares walks away from the Islanders after nine seasons, in which he scored 272 goals with 349 assists (621 points) in 669 games. The 27-year-old signs with his childhood team, joining one of the best, young teams in the NHL. Tavares, Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri is as formidable of a trio down the middle as you will find across the league. Over the last four seasons, Tavares is sixth in the NHL in points (306), tied for sixth in goals (136) and 22nd in assists (170). His cap-hit is now tied with Drew Doughty for the second highest in the NHL.
Reaves was picked up from Pittsburgh midseason last year, and picked up two assists in 21 games with Vegas. He became a key member of their fourth line and a fan favourite, which is why he is getting nearly three million per season.
Benning is coming off of the best season of his young career, having scored is goals with 15 assists (21 points) in 73 games. The 24-year-old posted one of the best CorsiFor% (51.2) ratings among Oilers’ defensemen and graded out as the No.47 right-handed defenseman in the NHL according to Corsica Player Rankings—not bad for a third-pairing D-man.
Domi was acquired from the Coyotes in a straight-up trade for Alex Galchenyuk. Domi was selected No.12 overall in 2013 and has yet to fully live up to expectations after a great rookie season—18 goals and 34 assists in 81 games. Since then he has scored just 18 goals with 65 assists (83 points) in 141 games. Domi brings some physicality along with great playmaking ability to the left-side of the Canadiens’ lineup, where he figures to slot in behind Max Pacioretty.
Reaves has picked up two goals and 18 PIMS in 10 playoff games this postseason, but it looks like he will sit in Game 5 with Will Carrier (undisclosed) returning to the lineup.
