The Stars have bolstered their lineup for the opening-round series against Vegas by recalling defenseman Derrick Pouliot and goaltender Matt Murray from AHL Texas, with Pouliot serving as the seventh defenseman and Murray as an emergency third goaltender for the playoffs.
Big news for the Stars as they gear up for Vegas. They’ve called up Derrick Pouliot and goalie Matt Murray from AHL Texas.
Pouliot’s a big deal, having snagged a Stanley Cup with the Penguins back in ’16. He’s been killing it in the minors this season, with a cool nine goals and 37 assists. That’s a personal best for him. Despite that, he only got to play five games with Dallas, and, well, didn’t score. But he did get to see about twelve minutes of ice time each game.
Now, Jani Hakanpaa? He’s been out with a leg injury for the last month. Not quite ready to jump back in. So, looks like Pouliot will be hanging out as the seventh defenseman until Hakanpaa’s back in the game.
Murray’s story’s a bit different. He’s not stepping in because of an injury to Jake Oettinger or Scott Wedgewood. The team’s calling it an “emergency recall” for the playoffs. Since there’s no EBUG (emergency backup goalie) in the playoffs, having a third goalie is pretty standard. Murray’s that guy.
This season, he played one NHL game and guess what? He nailed a 23-save shutout against Minnesota. Over in Texas, he had a bit of a mixed bag with a 14-15-2 record. But hey, a 3.02 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage? Not too shabby.
