Tasty Biscuits
with fancy sauce
Occam's razor is the chest pad reduction regulations in 2018 were death for a skinny unathletic guy like Murray who relied on size and positioning.
AHL: 2025-2026 WBS Penguins (Wheeling too, I guess)
- Thread starter Randy Butternubs
- Start date
Occam's razor is the chest pad reduction regulations in 2018 were death for a skinny unathletic guy like Murray who relied on size and positioning.
HandshakeLine
A real jerk thing
Definitely a part of it, but I don’t think those had to do with his weak glove hand though.
There's a laundry list of reasons Murray didn't maintain his early level. The injuries, his dad dying, the NHL adapting style and changing rules in a way that punished big positional goaltending and rewarded smaller more agile goalies...
and despite it all, he posted a .922 in his 5 NHL games this year (and that one looks part injury curtailed, part Seattle using LTIR to hide a guy they didn't want to lose on waivers). He's not completely toast yet.
In any case, I don't think slowplaying his development any more than they did would have changed anything and if Murashov starts playing like Murray did when he's next in the NHL, then the game time will follow accordingly and this is the ideal thing to happen.
I'm also gonna question the fatigue thing. In his last season in Russia, he played 43 regular season games before going on a 19 game postseason run. That's 62 games total. Being on game 56 in a 13 game postseason run is not all that different. Looks like 55 games with a 10 game playoff in his penultimate season in Russia. I mean, I'm sure he is tired, but not in a way he's not used to.
and despite it all, he posted a .922 in his 5 NHL games this year (and that one looks part injury curtailed, part Seattle using LTIR to hide a guy they didn't want to lose on waivers). He's not completely toast yet.
In any case, I don't think slowplaying his development any more than they did would have changed anything and if Murashov starts playing like Murray did when he's next in the NHL, then the game time will follow accordingly and this is the ideal thing to happen.
I'm also gonna question the fatigue thing. In his last season in Russia, he played 43 regular season games before going on a 19 game postseason run. That's 62 games total. Being on game 56 in a 13 game postseason run is not all that different. Looks like 55 games with a 10 game playoff in his penultimate season in Russia. I mean, I'm sure he is tired, but not in a way he's not used to.
PensFutures
Registered User
BlindWillyMcHurt
ti kallisti
- May 31, 2004
- 38,111
- 38,354
I was kinda skeptical of the developmental path they chose for him this year and even I would not be surprised to see him get games at the NHL level next year. He's looked really impressive in all the WB/S playoff games and highlights I've watched. Maybe even their best player. Smarter people than myself who follow every shift mostly seem to say the same.
TojoP
Registered User
- Jun 11, 2025
- 2,033
- 2,447
TojoP
Registered User
- Jun 11, 2025
- 2,033
- 2,447
He might be. When I think of Dubas challenging WBS guys to use this playoff run to alter their plans, Brunicke is the one who sticks out.
I had no intention of putting him on the roster but he's been miles ahead of any other skater on the team and looks far more polished than when he went back to juniors. The defensive and weight training work they did with him seems to have really paid off.
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
lol absolutely not. If you’ve watched the wbs playoffs he needs a full year in the AHL. His defensive game needs a ton of work. There’s no rational reason for him to even be in consideration imo. He belongs in the AHL next year to start and develop. What’s the rush?
His offensive game is good but even then he sometimes pinches at the wrong time and will rush up when he shouldn’t and then the defensive game, it’s either good or bad, the in between isn’t there yet. I think it’d be smarter to keep him in wbs next year and play all situations and really work on his game in his own end.
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
If there’s a pens prospect on D that I think is closer to ready it’d be Pickering and Pietila over Brunicke right now.
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
Lol I am just so confused by the Brunicke stuff, I think more than anything this playoffs at times it feels like I almost want to see him play wing because he’s probably someone that could convert to forward given how much he wants to move up.
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
Jacob
as seen on TV
- Feb 27, 2002
- 51,817
- 35,239
Jacob
as seen on TV
- Feb 27, 2002
- 51,817
- 35,239
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
I think it’d be cool to face Mark Letestu in the finals, if Colorado doesn’t blow their series.
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
I don’t think Murray burned out as much as being sort of found out, his glove side was super weak and when the scouting on him spread around, that basically just sunk him. He also had that injury in that stupid World Cup wannabe series where he was on that young guns team and hurt his hand I think it was, but he was struggling before his Dad passed, I think a lot forget that. That wasn’t when his wheels fell off, he was already being babied by Sullivan and I think the team really needed to sort out the goalie coaching at that point because Murray was still someone they could have fixed, but yeah, I remember they had that horrible loss to the Hawks, they had Niemi I think that year too and he was scapegoated, but Murray would get the weaker match-ups and would fail, it was like they didn’t want to challenge him to battle out of it, they gave him lobs and he would fail at those too and then his Dad suddenly passes and yeah that was unfortunate. But that fall was already fully going on before that.
I don’t think Murashov is at risk of any of that breakdown that Murray was prone to, the Dad part I think is used as an excuse but it really isn’t if you remember that year, but the other stuff, Murray vs Murashov, I don’t think Murashov is at risk of having those Murray issues. Because of his path alone. He played in the Russian leagues where here play in an adult league sooner, so he’s already been trained to sort that pro mentality sooner, his work ethic is also just a lot higher than most at that age, it was noted even by Sid that Murashov would stay later and work on his game and would do a lot of training, he’s a well oiled machine. I also love how he doesn’t let mistakes phase him and throw him way off his game, he seems to work hard at taking the emotion out of like game - a Penguins kryptonite.
Also I am sort of liking Gauthier and Pavlenko over Blomqvist lately. Blomqvist is still a good goalie prospect, but I like the work that both of the other 2 have put in and I almost feel like it’s wise for Dubas to use Blomqvist as a trade chip because of that.
- Jan 30, 2012
- 87,465
- 55,590
Pens are lucky, they have a lot of young goalies that are very good and very promising.
Murashov, Blomqvist, D’Aigle, Gauthier, and Pavlenko…and then SIlovs is around the same age as some of them too.
Murashov, Blomqvist, D’Aigle, Gauthier, and Pavlenko…and then SIlovs is around the same age as some of them too.
