After 15 postseason games, Marc-Andre Fleury will finally get his first start.

The veteran netminder was in the starter's net, and was the first goalie off the ice at the Pittsburgh Penguins' morning skate Sunday. Following the skate, head coach Mike Sullivan announced Fleury will start Game 5, meaning Matt Murray will remain benched after being pulled in Game 4.

Fleury made his 2016 playoff debut Friday, after Murray allowed four unanswered goals on 30 shots. The 31-year-old has not started a game since suffering his second concussion of the season during a March 31 start against the Nashville Predators.

In 99 career postseason games, Fleury has an underwhelming .906 save percentage, but that mark is .920 since 2014 - despite an 8-10 record.

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Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley will miss the remainder of the playoffs after suffering a broken ankle, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed ahead of Sunday's Game 5.

More to come.

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Pavel Datsyuk provided at least one more reminder of the immense talent he may be taking back to his native Russia next season in Sunday's bronze-medal game at the World Championship.

Watch Datsyuk spot Ivan Telegin slashing through the American crease with a feathered pass that put Russia up 3-zip.

Earlier this week Datsyuk's agent denied a report stating his client had signed a two-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg, adding that the plan is to meet with the Detroit Red Wings to discuss the Russian great's playing future in mid-June.

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Outsourced from the NHL's asset mill long ago, Troy Brouwer has firsthand knowledge on what a long, abnormally productive postseason performance can do for one's biweekly pay stub.

Instead of realizing his inflated worth alongside former teammates with the Chicago Blackhawks (or the Washington Capitals, for that matter), however, Brouwer's cashing in several seasons later with the Central Division rival St. Louis Blues.

Brouwer scored his sixth and seventh goals this postseason in Saturday's critical Game 4, leading St. Louis to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks to even the Western Conference final at two games apiece.

His total through 18 games not only matches Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes for the team lead, but it also equals the output from his previous 78 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After the win, Brouwer opened up about the challenge he received from management when he was brought to St. Louis, and how it's helped him succeed this spring.

"I had a lot of expectations on me this year," Brouwer said, "with what (GM Doug Armstrong) has expected from me when he traded for me. Telling me that my season was going to be judged on how I handled myself, and how I played in the playoffs and down the stretch.

"When you have expectations like that on you, you want to perform your best."

You can bet there will similar dialogue this summer when Brouwer decides on his playing future. Only his performance this spring will heighten the expectation, from wherever the source.

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Jake Allen didn't know if he'd get an opportunity. But he knew he'd be prepared if he did.

The St. Louis Blues turned to Allen in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, all but a must-win situation on the road against the San Jose Sharks. And Allen delivered. He stopped 31 of 34 shots, and, despite all three Sharks goals being scored in the third period, was exceptional as San Jose pushed.

"I've been ready, practicing as hard as I can," Allen said after the victory. "I felt confident out there."

Head coach Ken Hitchcock said Allen's numbers Saturday don't do him justice.

"He only let one goal in. Any time your goalie lets one goal in, that's a really good sign. He only really let one in."

And Hitchcock said the goalie gave his team the boost it was looking for.

"Allen gave us exactly what we needed. He's a competitive son of a gun. We needed a battler in there. We needed somebody to really help us play better defense. We played with more passion in front of him in our own zone because I made the goalie change. I had to make that decision.

"I just felt like we were allowing them too much open space with (Brian Elliott) in there, and Ells was getting bombarded. We needed to just dig in a little bit deeper defensively if we were going to have a chance in this series."

Hitchcock laughed when asked if Allen would start Game 5.

"You know, I didn't think that question was coming. I'll let you know tomorrow," he said.

With the series heading back to St. Louis tied 2-2, Hitchcock is optimistic, after his team played its game Saturday, not San Jose's.

"When (key players) raise their emotional level, it's a good sign," he said. "They went to another level for us. This is a big step. We came here to win a hockey game and we did it. If we continue down this path, I like our chances to win."

"We went back to our roots," said Troy Brouwer. "Collectively and individually, guys really brought a great game tonight."

"We knew we had this in us," Allen concluded. "It's good to show it."

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If history is any indication, the next teams to win in the conference finals will have a distinct edge.

With the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning both winning Game 4 against the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins respectively, the Eastern and Western Conference championship rounds are deadlocked at two wins apiece.

And when teams are tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series, the winner of Game 5 has an all-time series record of 290-81, a success rate of 78.2 percent, according to Elias Sports.

The Blues and Penguins will host the seemingly pivotal Game 5s, with at least two games remaining in each series.

Time will tell if this high probability of success holds up this time around.

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St. Louis Blues forwards David Backes and Robby Fabbri are hurting.

Both played fewer than 10 minutes Saturday in the Blues' 6-3 Game 4 win, but there's no word on what's ailing them. The good news? They should be fine for Game 5, according to head coach Ken Hitchcock, who said he'll have an update on the pair in the days ahead.

Fabbri played only 9:21, while Backes saw only 5:34 of action, not taking a shift after the first period but remaining on the bench throughout the game with his team.

He's the captain, after all.

Backes and Fabbri are integral contributors up front for the Blues. Backes has 13 points, while Fabbri picked up an assist in Game 4 to give him 14 postseason points.

Game 5 goes Monday night at 8 p.m. ET in St. Louis.

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It's a best of three now.

The St. Louis Blues tied up the Western Conference finals at 2-2 after a 6-3 win in Game 4 on Saturday, chasing San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones from the crease. Jones, though, is confident heading into Game 5, as he and his team have been exceptional after losses in the postseason.

"We've responded well any time we've needed to all season long," he said. "We'll be ready for the next one."

Jones allowed four goals on 19 shots before being replaced by James Reimer. The Sharks woke up in the third period, outshooting the Blues 16-5 and scoring three times, but the game was over after 40 minutes, with the Sharks down 4-0.

Head coach Peter DeBoer echoed his goaltender.

"We didn't execute tonight. We got burnt. Short memory and we'll move on to the next one. We've always responded in the right way."

The Sharks are 3-1 following a loss this spring.

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John Quenneville may have scored the nicest goal of the postseason at any level this spring.

The New Jersey Devils prospect - and son of Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville - roofed the puck after putting his stick between his legs on a breakaway at the Memorial Cup on Saturday.

Quenneville, who's playing for the WHL-champion Brandon Wheat Kings, was drafted 30th overall by the Devils in 2014.

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Jake Allen's earned himself another start.

The St. Louis Blues goaltender, starting in place of Brian Elliott in Game 4 against the San Jose Sharks, will likely be in the crease for Game 5, thanks in part to saves like the above.

It was actually the second time he robbed Joe Thornton of a goal.

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