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The Tampa Bay Lightning made headlines minutes prior to puck drop in Game 4 when it became clear that Ben Bishop would not be playing that night. They decided to give him extra rest and tagged rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy for the start. He got his first postseason win in Game 3 when he relieved an injured Bishop towards the end of the game, making five huge saves to keep the Lightning in front.
The Lightning may be tempted to ride the 20-year-old for the final games of the series. He was very good against an amazing Chicago Blackhawks offense in Game 4. While they did not have their best game, he still went into the United Center and held the home team to two goals.
The Lightning defense obviously stepped up knowing they had a kid in net. They only allowed 19 shots. They allowed an incredible two shots in the first period. They came out with all of the momentum.
Then Chicago scored. The Lightning had been in that position before. They always responded well to going down to the first goal, and this would be no different. Five minutes after Jonathan Toews scored, and Alex Killorn answered. The game was tied, and the crowd was dead for the rest of the second period.
Vasilevskiy was where he needed to be. He was a serviceable goalie for the Lightning, but he cannot do what Bishop does. Mainly, the way he plays the puck is light years behind how well Bishop plays it. With Martin Brodeur retired, he could be the reason why the trapezoid still exists. The Lightning are obviously used to the breakouts that come from outlet passes the goalie provided. The offense looked boring at times in this game. They were very good once they got something going, amassing multiple shot attempts during a few flurries, but they didn’t get enough of those chances.
Hand it to Vasilevskiy for a valiant effort. He played as well as you can expect for a 20-year-old. He wasn’t excellent, however. He was saved by the post on three different occasions. He cannot play this way and expect to win a Stanley Cup. Bishop is the man to lead the Lightning from here on out.
Maybe everything would have been different if Steven Stamkos could have scored on the empty net with less than two minutes left. That would have sent the game into overtime. If Vasilevskiy would have carried this team to an overtime win, then he would likely have been the choice for the next two or three games. At this point, it is only speculation. Jon Cooper needs to go with what he knows. He understands what Bishop is going to bring to this team. If the Lightning are going to lift the Cup, then Bishop will have to be the man we saw gain shutouts in two Game 7s. He deserves the starting job, and he needs to get it as soon as he is ready to take it.
Nick Villano is the NHL feature writer for Rant Sports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.
