As we are only hours away from game four of the Eastern Conference Final in the Stanley Cup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators, Pens head coach Mike Sullivan has taken the brave and contentious decision to replace Marc Andre-Fleury as the goal tender with the younger and less experienced Matt Murray.

For some this is a controversial and even poor decision after the Flower has performed so spectacularly in taking the Pittsburgh side this far into the playoffs most notably posting a goose egg in the deciding game seven against the Washington Capitals in the last round. 

Nevertheless no one could argue that Marc Andre-Fleury had a very poor game in his last outing against the Sens conceding four times in the first period.

For most people this would not be enough to justify pulling a goalie who has been the difference-maker so far for the reigning Stanley Cup champions but Mike Sullivan sees things differently and has form for this type of change after the reverse decision arguably won hockey’s biggest prize this time 12 months ago.

The truth is that this decision has far-reaching consequences beyond who end up between the sticks and has the potential to influence the entire Pens team and breathe fresh life into a side that had it taken out of them in an extended series against the Caps and is suffering from more injuries than any other team in the final four.

Coach Sullivan will be unfazed by the media scrutiny and will think nothing of the plaudits if it works out. That is a testimony to this Pittsburgh team that will do anything to achieve that next win. Perhaps more importantly Fleury himself is an experienced goalie and will fully understand the decision.

If the Pens go 1-3 down in the series then media scrutiny will only intensify further and questions surrounding who will get the nod for game five will be the top headlines.

Will this really matter to a Penguins side with such pedigree and a focus only on what happens on the ice?

In my view the answer is a simple no. The decision ahead of tonight’s game makes complete sense and should not be viewed as some sort of final roll of the die. The series is still finely poised and no one can argue that this is a gamble after Matt Murray’s performance in the post-season last year.

The Penguins are freshening things up from the back right up to the forward line and this should serve as a late but important reminder that a series win against the Capitals was by no means the last hurrah for the Pens this season.