For the first time since 2004, the Lightning are headed to the Stanley Cup Final after a 2-0 shutout in Madison Square Garden against the Rangers last night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. For the second time in as many games, the Rangers failed to score on home ice.
Looking to bounce back after a lackluster Game 6 performance, the Lightning entered Game 7 looking for a repeat of their earlier series win in Game 5. The role players on this Lightning squad made sure that happened. With the help of some stifling, defense forwards Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat scored a pair of third period goals to propel the Lightning past the Rangers.
The Rangers were undefeated with a 7-0 record for Game 7's at Madison Square Garden. Additionally, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was riding a 6-game winning streak in game 7’s, but he was unable to solve the Lightning in this game as the Bishop took the King. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop stopped all 22 shots he faced. Bishop was tested fewer times than Lundqvist, who blocked 23 of the 25 SOG, but Bish’s game was flawless as he recorded his second straight 2-0 win at the Garden. Speaking of records, Bishop also trounced the Detroit Red Wings, 2-0, in Game 7 in the first round of this year’s playoffs, making this Bishop’s 2nd Game 7 shutout of the playoffs.
With the first two periods being scoreless and it looking as if neither team was going to score, a minute and 54 seconds into the 3rd period Alex Killorn scored the game-winning goal. “I never saw it until it was too late,” Lundqvist said of Killorn’s goal.
Palat added a goal at the 11:17 mark. Playoff phenom Tyler Johnson added an assist on the Palat goal to increase his playoff point total to 21.
Postseason, a few of the Rangers’ top scorers, Martin St. Louis, Carl Hagelin, and Rick Nash, didn’t perform as expected. It is rumored that St. Louis, who only scored one goal during the playoffs (that’s ONE goal in the past 18 games), may have played his last hockey game. With St. Louis’ contract set to expire in the offseason, logic would say that the 39-year-old winger has played his last game as a Ranger. Whether this was it for St. Louis as a player, or just for his time with the Rangers, he agreed his execution could have been better. The solitary goal St. Louis scored was in Game 4 of this series, which the Rangers won.
For the Cup Final, the Lightning will either play against the Anaheim Ducks or the Chicago Blackhawks, which will be determined this evening in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The Bolts went 2-0-0 against the Ducks during the 2014-15 regular season and 1-0-1 against the Blackhawks.
The Lightning and the Blackhawks met twice this season: first in Chicago when they took the game 3-2 back in November and then in February when the Bolts beat Blackhawks 4-0 at home at Amalie Arena. Right winger Patrick Kane, who’s been on a tear in the playoffs, was out with a clavicle injury when the Blackhawks played here in Tampa. Kane was released from the long-term injured reserve list at the start of the playoffs. This could be a big game changer on how the Lightning matchup against the Blackhawks.
In both meetings with the Anaheim Ducks this season, once at the beginning of February and once in the middle, the Lightning beat them both times. 5-3 at Amalie Arena and 4-1 at the Honda Center. If the Lightning were to meet the Ducks in the Cup Final, their biggest challenges would be Ryan Kessler, who holds the most penalty minutes for the team, Corey Perry, who is leading the team in goals for the playoffs, and Ryan Getzlaf, who is leading their team in points and assists in the playoffs.
Statistics show that the Bolts stand a better chance against the Ducks, but a Blackhawks win means the Lightning would have home ice advantage.
After last night’s shutout, Lundqvist was very disconsolate, even with the crowd trying to lift his spirits.
Both teams gave it all they had.
In the end, Lightning struck.
Payback is a Bish.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2015.
