Breaking: Tonight’s starters for Leafs vs Pens confirmed

It appears that tonight’s matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins will feature two net minders fresh off the injured reserve. According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, tonight’s starters will be Matt Murray for the Pens and Frederik Andersen for the Leafs.

Check it out:

It's Matt Murray vs. Freddie Andersen tonight in Toronto. Two goalies returning from injury.

Murray, of course,  has been out of the Penguins lineup with a concussion for the past week. He also missed nearly a month of action last season when he was diagnosed with a concussion in February. The 24 year old star goaltender has struggled with injuries the past two seasons and without the safety net of Marc Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh anymore, the pickings are slim in the Penguins crease. 

Murray has struggled in his first two starts this season, giving up 11 goals on just 65 shots. His 5.45 goals against average and .831 save percentage are amongst the worst stats in the league so far.

As for Andersen, he missed just a game with a knee injury, Monday’s 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Backup Garret Sparks got the start, securing victory for the Leafs with ECHL goaltender Eamon McAdam watching from the bench and Andersen watching from the press box. Suffice it to say, the Andersen was all anyone could talk about around the Leafs this week, even after the Leafs put up another impressive victory, their fifth in a row, over the visiting Kings. Andersen’s statistics to begin the year may not seem impressive, but the Leafs have been a defensive mess in the early going, relying mainly on offence to pull out victories. Andersen is 4-1 with a 3.02 goals against average and a .899 save percentage.

Suffice it to say that the return of both Murray and Andersen bodes well for both teams moving forward. Despite dropping two straight games, the Penguins should provide the Leafs with a real big test this evening. The Leafs are rolling no doubt, but a savvy veteran squad like the Penguins cannot be taken lightly, no matter how many goals you're pumping each night. Puck drops at 7pm tonight at ScotiaBank Centre in downtown Toronto!