(WGR 550) – It’s been a big week for Buffalo Sabres goaltender Michael Houser, but Thursday is going to be even bigger.
Houser is from the Pittsburgh area, and when he steps into the crease, he’ll be facing the team he cheered for as a kid, the Penguins.
Houser won his first two NHL games this week, beating the New York Islanders on Monday and Tuesday. He’s done a terrific job of keeping the emotions of making the NHL in check. He said he thinks he can do the same on Thursday.
“I’m glad I got those first two out of the way before I came here, because it would be a little more difficult if this was my first one," Houser said following Thursday's morning skate. "When you play three games in four nights, you just keep the momentum rolling a little bit. You start getting a little bit of a rhythm, and I’m just going to try to carry that into tonight.
“I know I may have a few jitters in warm-ups, but just like the first game that I played, I’m just going to try to get into it as quickly as possible, hoping to feel it early and go from there.”
Houser estimates he'll have over 20 family and friends at the game to see him play.
The 28-year-old has many, many memories of going to Penguins games in the old "Igloo".
“I was there when the [Red Wings] clinched the [Stanley] Cup in ’08," Houser remembered. "I was there when [Marian] Hossa almost put that one in at the end, but [Sergei] Gonchar scored late. I was there for [Sidney] Crosby’s five or six-point game against the [Philadelphia] Flyers. I saw quite a few games there growing up. Olli Maatta got me tickets, so I got to see Game 7 against Ottawa [Senators] where Kunitz scored in double OT.”
Houser was a teammate of Maatta’s with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League.
Sabres goaltending coach Mike Bales was with the Penguins from 2011-17. He, of course, knows Crosby and Evgeni Malkin very well.
“He just said to go out and play my game, and that’s really what I want," Houser said. "I just want to go out there, and I don’t want to be thinking too much about whose out on the ice. I just want to read the play and just let my instincts take over.”
Don Granato still hasn’t ruled out Linus Ullmark from playing on Saturday.
“He’s not probable and it’s still that," the interim head coach said Thursday morning. "It’s going to up to Linus, but I’m not going to force Linus into the net. He has to tell us that he’s comfortable and can do what he needs to do, but if he comes to me and says he’s ready to go, I would probably make room for him.”
Brett Murray will make his NHL debut for the Sabres on Thursday. Granato said that Cody Eakin’s out with some soreness.
Murray was taken is the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. Buffalo didn’t sign him to a contract after he left Penn State. Things were not good there, as he only had one goal and six assists in two seasons. Murray went back to junior hockey and the United States Hockey League, where he netted 41 goals and 35 assists for 76 points in 62 games with the Youngstown Phantoms.
After that, he signed an AHL contract with the Rochester Americans and had nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points in 55 games, which got him a NHL contract with the Sabres.
This season, he has nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 23 games with Rochester. The 22-year-old is 6-foot-5, 228 pounds and is really using his size to his advantage.
Murray, of course, is very happy that his perseverance and hard work has paid off.
“Today in the pregame meeting, I saw my name on the line chart and then Don let us know. I’m at a loss for words," Murray said after learning of his NHL debut. "It’s honestly something that you work for your entire life, and to finally see your name on a line chart in the NHL is one of the coolest things in the world."
Granato also said that Will Borgen remains out with a minor injury issue, but is probable for Saturday.
Pittsburgh will start Tristan Jarry in goal. He’s 24-9-3 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Jarry has won seven of his last eight decisions.
Pittsburgh is tied for the lead in the East Division with the Washington Capitals. That’s thanks to an 11-3-1 record lately. The Penguins are 23-7-2 in their last 32 games.
Malkin has been back for two games after missing 23 games due to injury. He has three assists in those two games.
Join Schopp and the Bulldog for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. ET when they’ll be joined by Granato, Houser and Murray.
