Tampa Bay Lightning G Ben Bishop Has Stood Strong In Postseason

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop has been a large part of the Lightning’s overall success thus far in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As the Tampa Bay Lightning neared the end of the regular season, critics everywhere had doubts about the team’s ability to compete in the postseason. The Lightning had been ravaged by injuries throughout the course of the season, which played serious games with the team’s chemistry. In addition to this, the Lightning would be heading into the postseason with a couple of their key players chained to the sidelines with injuries.

First, the Tampa Bay Lightning lost Anton Stralman just three games before the start of the postseason with a fractured tibia. Next, the Lightning would lose captain Steven Stamkos to a condition known as effort thrombosis. In other words, a blood clot was found near his collarbone requiring vascular surgery to repair.

Now that one of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s most powerful offensive and defensive players were relegated to the sidelines, the critics continued to throw shade at the Lightning questioning the team’s depth and ability to overcome. Well, little to the Lightning’s detractors know, the Tampa Bay Lightning has one of the best developmental systems in the NHL, filled with players just waiting for their chance to make a difference.

While the addition of some young blood to the Lightning’s main roster has certainly increased their performance and helped the Lightning hold back the physical challenges of their opponents, there has been one player who has stood out among the rest and truly kept the Tampa Bay Lightning alive in the postseason. This player is none other than Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop.

More times than Lightning fans would like to remember, Ben Bishop has been forced to dig deep and come up with some really big saves thanks to momentary lapses in both the Lightning’s offensive and defensive cores. The proof is clear to see. Just take a look at some of his stats over the course of the season.

In the 61 games Ben Bishop suited up for in the regular season, 48 of those were games where Bishop allowed two or fewer goals. Since the start of the postseason, Bishop has played in eight games. Of those eight games, six have been two goals or less. As you can see, this has become the standard in which the bar has been set here in Tampa Bay when it comes to goaltending.

Still not impressed? Allow us to dig a little deeper for you. In the eight games Ben Bishop has played since the start of the postseason, he’s maintained a 6-2-0 record with a Goals Against Average of 2.28 and a Save Percentage of .927. While these numbers are slightly lower than the numbers he carried during the regular season, they still keep him in league with the top remaining goaltenders in the postseason.

Let’s take a closer look at some of Ben Bishop’s heroics that have helped the Tampa Bay Lightning remain in control of the series. In the latter part of the first period in Game 3, the Lightning found themselves down a goal. Needless to say, the Islanders were looking for much more than one before they headed down the tunnel for the first intermission.

New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas carried the puck through the neutral zone and into the Lightning’s defensive zone. Under double coverage, Cizikas passed the puck in front of the net for Islanders left wing Matt Martin who would fire off a short-range shot on Bishop. Just as soon as Bishop was able to turn away the Martin shot, Bishop was hit with another shot, this time from Islanders right wing Cal Clutterbuck.

As you can see in the video above, “Big” Ben Bishop was able to block the second shot as well, shifting the momentum back into the Lightning’s favor. This momentum opened the door for the Lightning to mount a comeback in the final minutes of the period when Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan would tip in a shot from Alex Killorn while on the Power Play and tie things up before the intermission.

The old saying goes, there is no “I” in team. Well…there is an “I” in the word impact, and that is exactly what Ben Bishop has had on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s journey towards a successful series and the team’s hopes of making a repeat visit to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Next: Jonathan Drouin Shows Toughness In Game 3

Hopefully, as the Tampa Bay Lightning charge back into the Barclays Center on Friday night to take on the New York Islanders in Game 4 of the series, the Lightning are able to focus their efforts a little more and take some of the pressure off Ben Bishop. The six-foot-seven-inch tall netminder certainly has the skill to get the job done, but we’re sure he’d like a small reprieve from superhero duty every now and then.

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