Newly acquired Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Peter Budaj will finally get an opportunity to show what he can do as he takes the pipes against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The landscape here in the Bolts Nation has changed rather dramatically over the course of the last few days. Many expected the Tampa Bay Lightning to be relatively quiet heading into the NHL Trade Deadline. Surprisingly enough, things were the exact opposite.
One of the biggest deals the Lightning made heading into the Trade Deadline was sending now-former Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop to the Los Angeles Kings along with a 5th Round Draft Pick in the 2017 NHL Draft in exchange for Peter Budaj, Erik Cernak, and a 7th Round Pick and a Conditional Pick in 2017.
The Bolts Nation still remains very torn on the subject; however, as the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to fight for one of the spots in the postseason, Lightning fans need to come together and give the team the encouragement they need in order to get the job done.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are set to kick off a back-to-back series tonight as they make their way to the Consol Energy Center to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight, one of the newest members to the team will have the opportunity to show the Bolts Nation what he can do. This player’s name is Peter Budaj.
According to Tampa Bay Lightning Beat Writer Bryan Burns, Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper has started the newest member of the Lightning’s goaltending duo will get the start between the pipes against the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Fortunately, Budaj is not your average goalie. Instead of sitting on the sidelines for a majority of the season while the team’s starter takes the brunt of the work, Budaj has essentially carried the weight of the Kings season on his back as their starting netminder, Jonathan Quick, was sidelined with a Lower-Body Injury.
In the 53 games he’s played in so far this season, the 34-year-old Slovakian goaltender has gone 27-20-3 with a Goals Against Average of 2.12 and a Save Percentage of .917. These may not look like the best numbers in the world, keep in mind the Los Angeles Kings currently occupy the second Wild Card Spot in the highly contested Western Conference.
We here at Bolts By The Bay will admit, it has been incredibly difficult watching the Tampa Bay Lightning take the ice without Big Ben Bishop, but as they old saying goes, the logo on the front is much more important than the name and numbers on the back.
Next: Lightning Trade Valtteri Filppula To Philadelphia Flyers
Peter Budaj deserves a chance to show Lightning fans what he’s got, and thanks to Coach Cooper, he’ll get his chance tonight against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. Here’s hoping the team gives him the support he deserves in front of the net and the Bolts can pick up a much-needed two points.