Murray proves worth to Penguins with back-to-back Cup wins as a rookie
Matt Murray is sure to go down as one of the greatest rookie goaltenders of all time.
Not only has he become the first rookie goalie to win back-to-back Stanley Cups, he also finished off the Nashville Predators in style.
Matt Murray becomes the 1st goalie to close off a #StanleyCup final with back-to-back shutout wins since DET's Terry Sawchuk in 1952 vs MTL
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) June 12, 2017
Murray had a terrific regular season but began the playoffs on the injured list. Once healthy, he was called upon in relief of Marc-Andre Fleury during the Eastern Conference Finals and reclaimed his rightful spot as Pittsburgh's starter.
In 11 appearances against Nashville and Ottawa, Murray posted a record of 7-3 with a sparkling save percentage of .937.
This after guiding the team to a championship in 2016, posting a record of 15-6 with a .923 save percentage along the way. He maintained his rookie status entering 2016-17 because he had appeared in only 13 regular-season games.
From the NHL's guidelines on Calder Trophy eligibility:
To be considered a rookie, a player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons.
Murray, still only 23, will enter next season having finally shed the rookie tag and likely without Fleury to back him up. He's certainly earned the right to backstop this team for years to come, although his first two playoff performances will be tough to top.