Going into game seven, nobody was giving the Tampa Bay Lightning a chance. The game was at Madison Square Garden. They were taking on Henrik Lundqvist, quite possibly the most clutch goalie in the NHL. The Lightning were coming off a 7-3 destruction of their defense on their home ice. In the 89-year history of the New York Rangers they had never lost  the seventh game, until now.

Ben Bishop stopped every shot he saw. He stopped all four shots from Derick Brassard. Chris Kreider had a pair of shots that couldn’t get through. Despite playing on a broken foot, Ryan McDonagh even sent two shots Bishop’s way. Nothing was getting past him.

This was the second shutout Bishop has in a Game 7. His first series against the Detroit Red Wings went seven games. He pitched a shutout in that game too.

Bishop has been a hard goalie to put your finger on this postseason. There have been times where he has looked truly elite. Then, there are times he looked pedestrian in net. He currently has the 14th best save percentage in the playoffs. That isn’t the formula for getting into the Stanley Cup Finals.

When it mattered most, Bishop was there. Whether it was for a big save, to pick up his teammates or to win Game 7, Bishop was the man to do it. That means a lot for the future of the Lightning. Bishop came into this season with huge injury concerns. He missed last year’s postseason, and the team was stuck starting Anders Lindback. It would have been Bishop’s first playoffs, but he missed them due to injury. Now he is going to the Stanley Cup. Not bad for an injury-prone goalie who never saw the postseason before.

The Lightning knew nobody thought they could win this game. They put their faith in a 28-year-old goalie who may be able to take them all the way.

They will await the winner of Game 7 between the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks. Until then, they will celebrate going to the second Stanley Cup Final in their franchise’s history.

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