KANATA, Ontario — Matt Murray was rock solid against his old team, resembling the goalie who got the Penguins back to the top of the NHL in 2016 and 2017.
But Tuesday night, it would be Murray’s former backup who got the victory.
Casey DeSmith, who has struggled for much of this season, took another step in the right direction. He got the shutout to outduel Murray and help the Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators, 2-0, at a quiet, mostly vacant Canadian Tire Centre.
Sidney Crosby fired six shots on Murray but couldn’t net that milestone goal.
Murray, who won the Stanley Cup twice with Pittsburgh, was making his first career start against the Penguins, the team that drafted him in 2012. Due to an illness, he was unable to suit up when the Senators visited Pittsburgh last month.
In an interview with the Post-Gazette before that game, he expressed gratitude for his time in Pittsburgh and lasting friendships forged with fellow Penguins.
“I enjoyed every second of my time in Pittsburgh. And I miss it. I miss it dearly to this day. … I literally have no complaints, no regrets or anything like that. I’m just super thankful that I got to spend all those years there,” Murray said.
As a few longtime Penguins were playing a little game of two-touch soccer to get warmed up before Thursday’s pregame skate, the goalie strolled by and hooted at the group. Crosby welcomed him with a quick smile and a warm hug. Bryan Rust gave him a playful salute. Jake Guentzel hit him with a fist bump.
That night, Murray and his old buddies from the Burgh had quite the battle.
The young Senators were feeling frisky heading into Thursday. Led by a resurgent Murray, they had won five of their previous eight games and two in a row.
The start of the game was fast-paced as the Penguins peppered Murray, but that tapered as the first period went on. They did little with their lone power play and Rust squandered their best scoring chance, missing a yawning cage. DeSmith’s slick kick save in the first minute kept it tied at 0-0 through 20 minutes.
After Murray stopped the first 15 shots of the game, Jeff Carter finally got one by him 7:25 into the second period. Kris Letang stepped in front of an errant pass then slipped the puck to Carter, who blasted a shot over Murray’s blocker.
Carter burst in on a breakaway moments later, sprung by Brock McGinn’s gorgeous backhand pass. But Murray stretched out to barely make a left toe save.
In that second period, Murray also made a tough blocker save on Guentzel and he got in front of a slapper from Crosby, who was gunning for his 500th goal.
Murray finished with 42 saves on 43 shots. Rust added an empty-netter.
At the other end, DeSmith made 26 saves for his first victory in five weeks.
DeSmith got the nod in Ottawa with Tristan Jarry getting a well-deserved breather. After discouraging performances in his first three starts in 2022, DeSmith was solid when we last saw him in that Jan. 28 shootout loss at home to Detroit.
He wasn’t tested a ton Thursday, but he is beginning to gain traction again.
He stopped a pair of breakaways when the game was still scoreless in the second period. And he kept the Senators out as they pushed in the final minute.
Due to COVID-19-related restrictions in Ontario, capacity was limited to 500 fans. The pumped-in crowd noise was reminiscent of a 1990s bubble hockey game. It was the first time the Penguins played in such an environment since last April.
Before the game, Mike Sullivan admitted that could present a challenge.
“There are some nights when you have to manufacture your own emotion. … But this is the reality of today’s world and we’re going to have to find a way to bring the necessary emotion that helps us to be at our best,” the coach said.
They had enough to win their second in a row, earning a decisive edge in offensive zone time while playing well defensively beyond those two breakaways.
The Penguins, after briefly returning to Pittsburgh for a practice or two, will next travel to New Jersey. Sunday’s matinee against the Devils starts at 1 p.m.
