TAMPA, Fla. -- Mike Sullivan had nothing new to share on the status of Trevor Daley, the Penguins' injured defenseman, or which goaltender he'll choose for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final.
Speaking here Saturday morning before the team's charter flight to Pittsburgh, the coach said that what he'd heard about Daley was "nothing since last night" and that "he'll be evaluated tonight when we get back."
Asked if Olli Maatta, Daley's likely replacement, could benefit from a reset button to his mostly poor performance in these Stanley Cup playoffs: "I think so. Olli's a good player. He's been good in key situations all year. He's been a top-four defenseman for us most of the year. We believe in him. We've got a lot of confidence in him. We knew, when we built this team for the playoffs, you'd need your whole team in the truest sense of the word. We're fortunate to have the depth we have at that position. And if we have to put somebody in the lineup, Olli can help us win. We know that."
Daley's lower left leg was injured Friday night in the 4-3 loss to the Lightning after awkward contact by the Pittsburgh end boards with Ryan Callahan. He needed to be helped off the ice and left Amalie Arena on crutches and in a walking boot.
Sullivan also declined to offer so much as a hint as to whether Matt Murray or Marc-Andre Fleury would start Sunday. Murray was pulled after two periods of Game 4, and Fleury, the franchise goaltender seeing his first action of the postseason following a long bout with a concussion, stopped all seven Tampa Bay shots in the third.
Pressed for more about his goaltending, Sullivan flatly came back, "That's a decision we'll make tomorrow."
Asked about using Fleury in Game 4, he did acknowledge that "part of the reason we put him into that situation was that he hadn't been out there in a long while. He's been a big part of this team all year. He's helped put this team into the position it's in with the way he's played all season."
But Sullivan then made clear that Murray was not removed on merit, nor for any injury reason. Murray was struck in the head by teammate Brian Dumoulin near the end of the first period. Sullivan also praised Murray's performance, absolving him of the four goals allowed on 30 shots: "Those would have been tough to stop. And I thought he made a few great saves."
Looking ahead to Game 5 in general, Sullivan stressed that the Penguins simply need to be their best selves, as they were in the third period of Game 4.
"These are two good teams," he said. "At times, they have momentum. At times, we have momentum. We really have liked a lot about our game in this series. Our guys just have to understand how we have to play. And they do. They know the formula. They know what works for us."
The players made available to the media Saturday shared that sentiment in force.
"This wasn't a good game for us," Matt Cullen said. "But I think we've shown all through the second half of the year that we're a pretty resilient group, that we'll stick with what works, that we'll bounce right back. I expect us to do the same."
The Penguins haven't lost back-to-back games since mid-January.
"We just need to go back to Pittsburgh and play like we can," Dumoulin said. "We need to play our very best game of the season."

Penguins
Sullivan: No word on Daley, starting goalie
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