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CRANBERRY TWP. — A day after winning his first Stanley Cup Finals game, hoards of media surrounded Matt Murray when he walked into the locker room after Tuesday’s practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
The NHL rookie netminder has guided the Pittsburgh Penguins through the postseason, and he’s now just three wins away from getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. But despite all the attention that comes with the recent success, Murray hasn’t forgotten about his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton roots.
“I spent two years in Wilkes-Barre and it’s a huge stepping stone in my career and a huge portion of my life,” Murray said. “Wilkes-Barre is the first time I lived on my own and it was my first professional hockey experience.
“Wilkes-Barre is a place I’ll never forget.”
Murray’s rise to NHL stardom has done little to change the way he approaches the game, or life for that matter. On the ice, his numbers are still as stellar as ever with a 2.20 goals against average and a .924 save percentage in 16 playoff games with Pittsburgh. In 31 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the regular season, Murray posted a 2.10 GAA and a .931 save percentage and he was in net for the team’s 18-5 start to the season under former head coach Mike Sullivan.
Murray’s numbers certainly contributed to his opportunity to be Pittsburgh’s starting netminder, but his poise has also helped – something that’s always been his strength either in the AHL or in the Stanley Cup Finals.
“It’s not that I don’t get excited or nervous, it’s just that I try to not let that get the best of me. I’m a pretty emotional guy, especially at practice, but in a game I don’t see how it’s going to help you,” Murray said. “If a goal goes in you learn from it and move on. That’s been my focus throughout this entire postseason.”
The 22-year-old was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2012 draft. He wrapped up his junior career in 2014 and the following season became Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top goaltender in a record-setting rookie campaign. He set the AHL record for longest shutout streak at 304:11, established the rookie mark with 10 shutouts in a season and swept on the awards front, being selected to the AHL All-Star team, the rookie team and was named the league’s top goaltender and rookie.
Murray said during his record-setting season he figured out what it took to be successful as a pro, and do it consistently.
“I tried to get a pro-type of mindset. No matter the situation, circumstances or outside factors, you should always approach the game the same way – compete and have fun while doing it,” Murray said. “If you can do that, it will put you in the right mindset to succeed.”
Now that Murray has found success at the NHL level and is a key component of Pittsburgh’s run to the Stanley Cup, he’s noticed the similarities between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the parent club.
And it starts at the top.
“Coach Sullivan was good at finding a team’s strength and playing to it. Speed was our strength at Wilkes-Barre, and that’s what we’ve been using here,” Murray said. “There are a lot of similarities between the Wilkes-Barre team and this one, and coach Sullivan has a lot to do with it.”
And if Murray gets his name on the Stanley Cup, he’s well aware that his time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a lot to do with it as well.
“I have great memories of Wilkes-Barre and I hope people there remember me,” he said. “I’ll never forget my time in Wilkes-Barre.”
