Crossing The NHL’s Atlantic Division: Week 28
By Tim Bayer
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Lightning
By Tasha Meares of Bolts By The Bay
This week certainly did not start off the way the Tampa Bay Lightning had hoped. As the Lightning kicked off the final week of the regular season, they were hit with some rather unpleasant news. In the opening minutes of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, they would lose starting goaltender Ben Bishop to an upper-body Injury.
On the bright side, when Anders Lindback took the net in Bishop’s stead, the team didn’t miss a beat. The Bolts continued to play the kind of hockey that we know they can, and Lightning left-winger Ondrej Palat continued to show why he should win the Calder Trophy this year, by scoring two goals
Ultimately, the Bolts would defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0, thus eliminating them from postseason contention. (Sorry, guys.) [Editor’s Note: No, you’re not.]
The Bolts certainly have a rocky road ahead of them. Next, they will host former Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier and the Philadelphia Flyers. Philly is a very physical team, and the Lightning are really going to have to bring out their bruisers if they want to stand toe-to-toe with the Flyers, who just recently clinched their berth in the postseason.
After this, the Bolts will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Lightning’s final home game of the regular season. There is no denying that the Blue Jackets are going to be coming to Tampa Bay looking for a win, as they are currently still battling for one of the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference.
In their final game of the season, the Lightning will head out on the road to face Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
This is certainly going to be an interesting final stretch for the Bolts, which can ultimately change in the blink of an eye depending on the status of Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop as more information is made available.
The Lightning have overcome their fair share of adversity over the past few seasons. We here in the Bolts Nation know that the team has what they need to get the job done. All that is left to do now is put one skate in front of the other.