It’s weird, really, that we’re sitting here seven hours ahead of a playoff game, wondering whether Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is wise to start his starting goaltender.
It’s also a testament to how good Marc-Andre Fleury had been, in aggregate, during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs. Save for a couple squishy moments against Columbus — nobody can be 100 percent great, 100 percent of the time — Fleury’s play had been bulletproof until Game 2 against the Senators. The Penguins are still playing because of him.
Now, they’ll play without him. Matt Murray, dealing with a groin injury since he warmed up for Game 1 of the postseason, is taking Fleury’s place in the wake of his first-period meltdown on Wednesday.