Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Ben Bishop

Before we leave the 2014-15 season behind and concentrate on the season ahead, let’s take a look back at the stellar season of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop.

When you take a look back at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2014-15 season, there are plenty of players who exceeded everyone’s expectations and left it all out on the ice. One of those players is Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop.

Anyone who has watched the Tampa Bay Lightning in the past few seasons knows all too well about Ben Bishop’s desire to win and his ability to continue pushing boundaries and setting records. In the 2013-14 season, Ben Bishop set a new franchise record for wins in a single season when he earned his 37^th win of the season over the Montreal Canadiens on April 1, 2014.

The very next season, Bishop would set the bar a little bit higher. At the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, Bishop would extend the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise record he set the previous season on April 4, 2015 when he would earn his 38^th win of the season in the Lightning’s 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers. Two games later, Bishop would finish off the season extending that number to 40 wins.

Throughout the season, there would be one consistency that always gave Tampa Bay Lightning fans hope. Whether they were played at home in the Amalie Arena or in one of the many other venues across the National Hockey League, the Tampa Bay Lightning never lost more than two games in a row. This would remain truth until the final three games of the Stanley Cup Finals.

While Bishop may not have been the top goaltenders in the league as he has in years past, Bishop still had a pretty solid season. When the season finally came to a close, Bishop would have a 40-13-5 record with a Goals Allowed Average of 2.32 and a Save Percentage of .916.

Unlike the previous season, this would not be the end of the road for Bishop. The Denver, Colorado native would finally get the opportunity that he had waited all season for; to take the ice with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the post season.

Bishop once again upped his game and put on some pretty stellar performances for the Tampa Bay Lightning fans. Bishop played in 25 of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 26 postseason matchups where he maintained a 13-11-0 record, a Goals Allowed Average of 2.18, and a Save Percentage of .921. The latter two stats were slightly improved from the regular season.

What would make Bishop’s performance slightly more amazing is that his post season run was in fact marred by an injury. After the postseason had come to an end and the Chicago Blackhawks claimed the Stanley Cup, it would be revealed that Bishop had continued to play throughout the Stanley Cup Finals with a torn groin muscle.

Whether it is through sheer determination or dedication to his team, Ben Bishop proved himself as not only one of the toughest guys we have known, but also as someone who refuses to back down in the face of adversity.

The Tampa Bay Lightning spent many seasons in what some of us here in the Bolts Nation not-so-fondly recall as goaltender hell. No matter how hard they tried, the Tampa Bay Lightning simply could not find a goaltender that would be able to hold their ground consistently. It seems that the addition of Ben Bishop has put this to an end.

Bishop is currently under contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning through the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. While the Lightning certainly has plenty of goaltending prospects in the system that are ready and waiting for their moment in the spotlight, we have a pretty good feeling that Bishop is going to be in Lightning blue for quite a few more seasons.

We don’t know about you, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.

What did you think of Ben Bishop’s performance in the 2014-15 season? Do you think that we could be looking at another record breaking season for the young goaltender in the 2015-16 season? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: Top 10 Lightning Prospects

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