Tampa Bay Lightning In Game 7s: The History Is There

When it comes to elimination games, especially in a Game 7, the Tampa Bay Lightning knows how to get it done, but tonight’s opponent brings a different challenge.

All throughout this series, there have been different story lines circulating around both teams, but now, those can be put on the back burner because there’s a winner take all Game 7 tonight in Pittsburgh. Who will emerge victorious?

Before the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals even started, many analysts leaned towards predicting the Pittsburgh Penguins to advance onto the next round and leave the Tampa Bay Lightning in the dust. Penguins in 6, Penguins in 5, even.

Speed and overwhelming star power were two phrases passed around. Many said the Penguins had more of both and that the Lightning could get by, but not hold up long enough to win the series. Pittsburgh’s third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel was also put in the spotlight and lauded over how well it has performed. I will say that the trio has done well, but not enough to single-handedly eliminate the boys in blue.

Then the focus shifted to how long could Ben Bishop last and how he was really the main reason for why the Lightning has made it this far. That may be partially accurate, but they’re not without their own star power in players like Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Drouin, Victor Hedman, and others.

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After Bishop went down early in Game 1, the hockey world threw its hands up and said, “Oh, they’re finished. No chance.” Little did they know that the Lightning had a fantastic backup in Andrei Vasilevskiy, who would help lead the team to a 3-2 series lead with the chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final at home. Though the team just did not get it done on Tuesday, Vasilevskiy is not to blame and those who doubted him can step back and see what he’s done for a team that looked vulnerable in net early in the series.

On the other side, the Penguins did not go without their own goalie controversy, as head coach Mike Sullivan decided to start veteran Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5 over rookie Matt Murray, who had led the team to that point, after giving up four goals in Game 4. It was not the best decision on his part and it cost the team the chance to go up 3-2 in the series.

But, Sullivan’s group responded with a dominant performance in Game 6 at Amalie Arena, a game that was more about the Penguins’ stars showing up and performing well over the possibility of the Lightning advancing.

Here we are, though. It has been a rough and rocky series, to say the least, and now its a matter of which side makes the first move or the first mistake. What cannot be overlooked is the Lightning’s record in Game 7’s all time.

Remember back in 2011 when the Lightning and Penguins met in the conference quarterfinals? Yeah, me too. And remember who won that series? That’s right, the Tampa Bay Lightning did and moved on in seven games, winning Game 7, 1-0 at the Consol Energy Center. Granted, Pittsburgh was without stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin due to injury, but the Lightning got it done, nonetheless, after being down three games to one at one point.

Flashback to May 29, 2015, when the Lightning and New York Rangers met in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, a place where the Rangers had never lost a Game 7. And neither had Henrik Lundqvist, their franchise goaltender. The media praised them for this and the coronation for the Eastern Conference had begun before the puck even dropped in New York.

But, what did the Lightning do? They sucked the life out of that building and shutout the Rangers by a score of 2-0 behind the strong play of Bishop. It was a game for the ages and Lightning fans everywhere celebrated joyfully afterward.

Both of those Game 7 wins are reflected in the Lightning’s 5-1 record in those games and ability to close a team out in those pivotal situations. They’ve also only allowed three goals in six total Game 7 appearances. That’s remarkable considering the added pressure that comes on during a game like that.

Speaking of pressure, the Penguins will be faced with much of that tonight on home ice, as their fans have high expectations for this game. The Lightning, on the other hand, have the opportunity to build off their prior experiences and eliminate the opposition in front of their home crowd. What other motivation do you need, besides the chance to play for the Cup?

Though Bishop will not start in net tonight, this game will be a great opportunity for Vasilevskiy to rise up and go beyond any of his other performances in goal. He has never played a Game 7 in the playoffs before, but tonight is the perfect opportunity to do so. If the team emerges victorious tonight, just imagine what he will feel.

Scoring the first goal is important, as always, but it’s especially important in Game 7, as the team that opens the scoring has a 123-42 advantage. It’s not necessary to score first, but the results show that it can be helpful.

Getting the first goal will also help quiet the raucous crowd and take a bit of the pressure off, but the Lightning cannot sit back and let Vasilevskiy face 40-plus shots again. Doing that will likely produce another unfavorable result.

Like I said, who will come out with the most energy and make the first move or who will slip up and make the first mistake? That first mistake could be costly.

As we’ve seen in recent history, the Lightning knows how to get it done in elimination games, for the most part. Despite two ugly Game 6 results in the Eastern Conference Finals the past two postseasons, this team can get it together and advance in style. Even though it will be Vasilevskiy in net and not Bishop, he has the opportunity to play the best game of the season and so does the rest of the team.

Hopefully, we will see a reversal of the deplorable effort they showed in the first two periods of Game 6 and come out with some fire in their hearts. This game has so much on the line and one team will be sent home packing. I have no doubt the Penguins will come out with a similar intensity as they did on Tuesday, but the Lightning need to quell that and counter with their own.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Advance With A Win In Game 7

Game 7. It’s considered the greatest two words in sports, but for Lightning fans, it just means more stress and anxiety that awaits once the puck drops in Pittsburgh.

Tonight’s game will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network and Lightning Radio, station 970 WFLA. Puck drop is slated for a bit after 8 P.M. Just as a quick reminder, there will be no watch party on Ford Thunder Alley, but fans will be allowed to watch the game at Channelside and other places near the arena.

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