Grubauer allowed three goals on 30 shots in Colorado’s win in New Jersey on Thursday. Grubauer has surrendered seven goals on 64 shots (.891 SV%) in his first two starts as an Avalanche. Things don’t get any easier this afternoon in Carolina—the Hurricanes lead the NHL in shots per game (42.0) and 10th in goals per game (3.57).
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.
Grubauer allowed four goals on 34 shots in Colorado’s loss in Columbus on October 9th. With Semyon Varlamov playing great, Grubauer has been limited to one start in the first two and a half weeks of the season. Tonight he takes on a Devils team that has started the season 4-0-0 while averaging the third most goals per game (4.25) in the NHL.
Schwartz missed the Blues last two games with a lower-body injury, but was back on the ice for Tuesday’s practice. Schwartz skated in his regular spot on the Blues’ second line and power-play, suggesting that he will play on Wednesday. Schwartz has registered two assists and seven shots on goal in three games this season.
There’s no word what kind of lower-body injury Schwartz is dealing with, but he did take a Vladimir Tarasenko shot off of the foot on Thursday. With Schwartz likely out, Samuel Blais skated on the second line during Friday’s practice.
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.
Dunn has been featured on the Blues top power-play to start the season, but is expected to sit tomorrow with Joel Edmundson set to make his season debut. With Dunn out, Alex Pietrangelo will take his spot on the top power-play unit.
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.
Over the last three seasons with the Capitals, Grubauer had a 2.25 GAA and .923 SV% in 63 starts and 18 relief appearances as Braden Holtby’s backup. This summer he was dealt to the Avalanche, where he’s expected to split time with Semyon Varlamov. The Avalanche have won their first two games of the season, but have not been the same team on the road.
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.
