EDMONTON — There once was an old defenseman named Rob Scuderi, whose nickname was actually a bit of a joke.
Scuderi (a low-scoring defensive back on the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins team that delivered Sidney Crosby’s first Stanley Cup) made a huge shot block one night during a playoff game in Carolina. True to character, in his postgame interview, he simply told reporters that he was “just one piece of the puzzle” for the Penguins team that swept the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals.
But the next day, at the top of the photo in the newspaper, there was something different written.
“The Piece” was announced in large block letters. And forever, that will be Scuderi’s nickname.
Here in Edmonton, big man Connor Murphy will assume a role not much different from the one Scuderi had in Pittsburgh.
Murphy is a defense-first player who has honed his skills over 805 NHL games. Now he’s finally found a team that can take his development into the playoffs.
Murphy’s work finally found the puzzle.
But can he actually be Edmonton’s “The Piece” in the big games?
Now it’s time for all of us to find out.
“At this point in my career, winning is the number one priority,” said Murphy, who has worked on rebuilds with Arizona and Chicago over 13 NHL seasons. “Now I feel comfortable in my role and I want to play meaningful games and win hockey, and that brings pressure, but it’s a privilege that falls on your shoulders.
“It’s all about coming together as a group and feeling emotions, good and bad. That’s why Edmonton has always been a top priority (and place) for me to come to.”
Entering the NHL at age 20 and playing in only nine playoff games at age 32 is a long career. Of course, the game against Edmonton was in the bubble.
As the longest-serving Chicago Blackhawk, he was needed for leadership and setting the right example. But Edmonton just needs his on-ice game. That means a steady role behind his blue line and a key piece on the penalty kill.
“That’s all I’ve done. My career has been a lot of penalty killing and defensive zone time,” said the 6-foot-4, 212-pound Murphy. “Honestly, where I’m comfortable is more on defense, using my instincts that way. I’ve settled into that role for a few years and I’m really comfortable with it.
“It’s definitely something I’m proud of.”
So what is Murphy up to as an NHL defenseman? We asked around.
He is a polished professional. Dedicated, prepared and a great teammate loved by all. He’s not as skilled as he is smart, and he’s not as gifted with puck-handling skills as he is competitive and determined.
He’ll really help Edmonton’s penalty kill, and he’s the guy to eat up the last shift of the game if you’re ahead and don’t need a late goal. He doesn’t move as well as he used to, but he’s a smart, positional player who blocks shots more often and better than anyone the Oilers have right now.
Simply put, he is known as a “professional’s pro,” a description used by several sources we interviewed.
D men Even Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm skipped Wednesday’s practice. During the maintenance period, Murphy worked with Jake Walman and Darnell Nurse was paired with right-hander Ty Emberson.
Walman’s game could definitely use a steadying force like Murphy’s, a right-handed shot. Wolman said he sat on the bench for the entirety of Game 3, a 5-4 win over Ottawa on Wednesday. Coach Chris Knoblauch said in a postgame interview that Wollman was benched despite raising the possibility that his absence was due to injury.
“I think other options are more important,” Walman acknowledged. “There were small adjustments, but we were able to play. We need to play better. We have more to bring and I’m confident we can do it.”
Andrew Mangiapane is back in Edmonton, but with no games played between now and Friday’s trade deadline, it’s likely he’ll have played his last game as an Oiler. Curtis Lazar was seen with his arm draped after the Senators game. He is expected to miss about a month, leaving Edmonton without a right-shooting centreman. This will sharpen Toronto’s pursuit of centers like Nicholas Roy. “I saw the rumors like everyone else,” Roy told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox at the Leafs morning skate in New Jersey on Wednesday. “But I’m playing for the Leafs now and I want to be here.”
