Might there finally be a stream of sunlight breaking through threatening to dissipate the feeling of foreboding?
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Thirteen minutes into the Eastern Conference Finals, Ben Bishop left the ice in the worst way.
Tampa Bay appeared determined to get back to the Cup finals where they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks a year ago.
NOTES: Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos, out since April 4 following surgery to remove a blood clot near his collarbone, practiced Friday but can’t be cleared to play until he is taken off a blood thinner….
The series continues in Pittsburgh on Monday.
Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist would get the team within two late in the second period with a powerplay goal, but that would be it for Pittsburgh. He is listed as day-to-day.
“It was just a scary experience”, Bishop said. You just think of the worst.
Cooper also said that Anton Stralman, out since March 25 with a broken leg, is getting very close to returning. Bishop echoed that sentiment Sunday.
“[I’ll] just take it day by day right now”, he said. “Feels better than it did yesterday, and it’s just a matter of getting to where it feels good enough to think that you can go out there and help the team win….”
“That’s tough, (when) guys go down in that much pain….” “But going out there and playing hockey is different than just walking around”. Yet, it did and the Lightning were victorious despite losing their starting netminder and No. 1 centerman for good portions of this game. Callahan received a major penalty for boarding but remained in the game, and Letang made a surprisingly quick return during the lengthy delay as Bishop was stretchered off.
A source over the weekend indicated Stamkos “was close” and Sunday’s developments point toward that, even if there has been nothing said publicly to this point. After the game, head coach Jon Cooper said that x-rays on Bishop came back negative and that the team is hoping for the best. He doesn’t get too wild out there, stays pretty calm, and I think that’s why he’s been successful. But he’s been unreal to have around. I’m sure my family was scared. Palat doubled the lead 2:33 into the second when Valtteri Filppula’s slap shot smacked off Murray’s pads and – with no Penguins around to get in his way- Palat reached out and slammed home the rebound.
And finally, Stralman has seen his status change from out indefinitely to day-to-day as he recovers from a fractured fibula suffered on March 25. Back then, you’re just enjoying the game and the parents are having fun with it and we were just having fun with it. Once we got a little bit older and they saw how much the gear costs, maybe a second thought, but no, they were supportive the whole way.
In the long run it’s hard to say how good backup goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy would be against the Penguins’ offense.
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“He’s not favoring anything, so it’s a really good sign”, Cooper said.
