Penguins goaltender Matt Murray decided on Wednesday night to take the law into his own hands.
When Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph headed straight for the crease, Murray took the opportunity to clean house, delivering a solid check to the Bolts’ winger.
“[The refs] are obviously not calling anything,” said Murray. “If I have to, I guess that’s what I have to do.”
Referees Brad Meier and Graham Skilliter did hand out 28 minutes in penalties, higher than that league average of 17.2 penalty minutes per game. None, though, came on goaltender interference, prompting Murray to enforce his own brand of justice in the blue paint.
Murray was not credited with a hit on the play.
“My priority is to stop the puck, so I have to focus on that first,” Murray told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “If I’m able to recognize that a guy’s going to hit me, if I can brace myself, that’s what I have to do.”
“I’m not used to throwing hits. They just kind of came in and weren’t going to stop. If I’m able to see them coming, I have to try and protect myself. That’s what I tried to do.”
Murray not only stood his ground against skaters, but defended it against pucks as well. He stopped 33 of 35 shots en route to a 4-2 victory over the Lightning.
(Stick-tap to Deadspin)
