"He's obviously a great goalie," Murray said. "He was drafted the same year I was [2012]. He's a first-rounder and played in World Juniors and he's a heck of a goalie. So, I don't think it was much of a dropoff, losing Bishop. He's such a good goaltender."
Murray made 17 saves and surrendered three goals for a third consecutive playoff start after allowing fewer than three goals in five of his first seven. In his past three starts (1-2), Murray's save percentage has dipped to .885.
Sullivan hasn't blamed Murray for his recent form, but has not ruled out turning to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury at some point.
"We leave all options open with all of our positions," Sullivan said. "As far as what went on [Friday] night, we feel as though Matt had a very strong game. The goals that were scored were high-quality chances and very difficult saves, so I don't think it's an instance where Matt had a subpar performance. That being said, we keep all options on the table."
Fleury, who won the 2009 Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh, has not played since sustaining his second concussion of the season on March 31.
"With each practice he gets, the further away he gets from his injury, I think it gives him a better chance to be successful," Sullivan said. "The challenge for him moving forward is that he hasn't played in an NHL game in quite some time with the intensity level. It's very difficult to simulate that in practice. It's an imperfect situation, and we're trying to make the best decisions that we can."