Tampa Bay Lightning Advance to Second Round as Ben Bishop Gets Fourth Playoff Shutout

The defending Eastern Conference Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be moving on to the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs after defeating the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night by a score of 1-0. 

The Lightning brought the series back home leading the Red Wings three games to one, after taking both games three and four in the Motor City. Game five was a goaltending dual as both teams were kept off of the scoreboard for 58:17. 

Alex Killorn was able to finally put one past Red Wings netminder, Petr Mrazek, with 1:43 left in regulation. Ryan Callahan picked up the lone assist on Killorn’s third tally of the playoffs. 

Bolts goaltender Ben Bishop, turned away all 34 shots that the Wings fired on him to pick up his fourth career playoff shutout. Mrazek stopped 23 of the 24 Lightning shots in game five.

On the game winner, Mrazek casually played the puck behind the net as Callahan hustled to intercept a pass intended for Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericcson, sending it to Killorn who redirected the puck past Mrazek. 

The Red Wings received a power play chance late in the game, when Jason Garrison was called for crosschecking Henrik Zetterberg, but the Lightning were able to hold off the Red Wings rush in the last 43.6 seconds. 

In the second period Bishop made key saves on breakaways by Dylan Larkin, Riley Sheahan and Darren Helm. Bishop also shut out the Red Wings in game seven of last season’s first round, helping to send Detroit home early for the summer then as well. 

On Thursday night, the Red Wings may have controlled most of the game, especially in the middle period, but in the end it was the Lightning that came out on the correct side of the final score, helping them keep the defense of their Eastern Conference title alive. 

The Lightning now await to find out if their second round opponent will be their cross state rivals, Florida Panthers, or if they will take on the New York Islanders. The Panthers and Islanders series is currently tied at two games apiece as it heads back to Sunrise for a fifth game. 

If the Panthers win that series, the Lightning will begin the second round in the Fort Lauderdale area. If the Islanders can upset the Panthers, the Bolts will open the next round at Amalie Arena.