Maine's Bishop Retires from NHL

Longtime NHL goaltender Ben Bishop (Maine) formally announced his retirement from professional hockey earlier this week, due to a degenerative condition in his right knee. The injury cost him all of last season, which would have been his fifth consecutive campaign with the Dallas Stars. He made his final playing appearance by starting in one game for Texas (AHL) this fall.

Bishop, 35, played in the NHL from 2008 to 2020, suiting up for the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings before finishing up in Dallas. In 413 career regular-season appearances, he posted a record of 222-128-36 with a 2.32 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and 33 shutouts, along with 12 assists offensively. He went 29-21 (2.27, .924) in 52 Stanley Cup playoff contests, and backstopped Tampa Bay to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, although he was unable to complete that series due to injury. He was also a three-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.

Born in Denver, Bishop grew up in Missouri and was a product of Chaminade College Prep, the St. Louis Amateur Blues, and Texas (NAHL) before enrolling at the University of Maine in 2005, several months after he was drafted 85th overall by St. Louis. In three seasons in Orono, the 6-foot-7 netminder went 55-35-7 (2.29, .917) in 99 games overall with the Black Bears, whom he also backstopped to the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis. In 176 career AHL games, he finished 91-64-15 (2.62, .912) with Peoria, Binghamton and Texas over seven seasons.

A two-time Hockey East All-Academic selection, Bishop was also named to two NHL Second All-Star Teams. He was also a member of the bronze medal-winning U.S. squad at the 2013 World Championship in Sweden//Finland, where he led the Americans to three victories while he was in net.

Pittsburgh Ties Series with Tampa Bay

Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) and Brian Dumoulin (Boston College) assisted on Sidney Crosby’s game-winning goal 40 seconds into overtime Tuesday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2, in Game Two of their Eastern Conference semifinal series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Phil Kessel (Minnesota) scored Pittsburgh’s second goal, assisted by Nick Bonino (Boston University) and Carl Hagelin (Michigan), to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead at the time. J.T. Brown (Minnesota-Duluth) and Matt Carle (Denver) set up Tampa Bay’s second goal in the last minute of the first period, by Jonathan Drouin, that tied the contest. Pittsburgh outshot Tampa Bay, 41-21, overall on the night at Consol Energy Center, while both teams were blanked in a combined total of three power-play attempts, two by the Pens.

The series is now tied at one win apiece, with Game Three to be played Wednesday night in Tampa (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN). It is not yet known if Lightning No. 1 netminder Ben Bishop (Maine) will return from a lower-body injury suffered in Game One on Friday, a 3-1 Tampa Bay victory.

Blackhawks Win Game One of Final

Alex Killorn (Harvard) scored the game-opening goal on a nifty backhand deflection in the first period, but the Chicago Blackhawks tallied twice in just under two minutes in the final frame to win Game One of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, 2-1, at Tampa Bay on Wednesday night.

The host Lightning, who advanced by beating Original Six clubs Detroit, Montreal and New York, lost for the first time in the 2015 postseason after scoring first. Game 2 at Amalie Arena in Florida will be on Saturday at 7 p.m. (NBC).

Duncan Keith (Michigan State) assisted on the tying goal for Chicago, which bested Nashville, Minnesota and Anaheim to advance to the Final. Ben Bishop (Maine) stopped 19 of 21 Chicago shots Wednesday, while Killorn tied for the game lead with five shots on goal.

The Blackhawks are seeking their third Cup in six seasons, while the Lightning is pursuing its first Cup in 11 years.

Lightning Advance to Stanley Cup Final with Game 7 Shutout

An Ivy Leaguer and a Missouri man teamed up to help send the Tampa Bay Lightning to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.

Alex Killorn (Harvard) backhanded home a puck early in the third period for the game’s first goal, and Ben Bishop (Maine) made that score stand up with 22 saves as the visiting Lightning blanked the New York Rangers, 2-0, tonight at Madison Square Garden in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Tampa Bay won the series, four games to three, as Des Peres, Mo. native Bishop recorded his second straight shutout on Broadway this month, and allowed just four goals in four games at MSG, three of them victories. The Lightning has defeated an NHL Original Six team in each round this spring, edging the Rangers after outlasting Detroit in seven meetings and then besting Montreal in six contests. Bishop has been in net for all 12 wins.

Matt Carle (Denver) assisted on Killorn’s seventh goal of the playoffs just under two minutes into the final frame on Friday, before Bishop drew the second assist on Ondřej Palát’s series-clinching score at 11:17. The former All-Hockey East netminder rebounded after having been pulled with 10 minutes remaining in regulation in a 7-3 home loss in Game 6, where he was scored on six times by New York.

The Rangers, who finished with the league’s best record during the regular season, setting franchise records for wins (53) and points (113), fell one win short of a second straight Eastern Conference crown despite winning 40 of 64 face-offs in Game 7. Team captain Ryan McDonagh (Wisconsin) played less than 18 minutes in all, reputedly due to a broken foot, according to the NHL Network.

Tampa Bay, which won the Cup in 2004 in its only previous appearance, will face either the Anaheim Ducks or Chicago Blackhawks in the league final, which will begin Wednesday night. If Anaheim wins Game 7 of the Western Conference Final Saturday night at the Honda Center, the best-of-seven Cup final will begin in California. If Chicago triumphs tomorrow, the Cup final will instead start in Florida.

Lightning Take 3-2 Series Lead with Shutout

Ben Bishop (Maine) made 26 saves to record his second career Stanley Cup Playoff shutout as the Tampa Bay Lightning took a three games-to-two lead in the NHL Eastern Conference Final following tonight’s 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

 

Valtteri Filppula and Steven Stamkos (power-play goal) connected in the second period for the Bolts, who blanked the Rangers in four power-play attempts. Tampa Bay had surrendered two power-play tallies in each of the last three games, and had given up five goals in all in each of the last two outings. Tampa Bay also won 24 of 39 face-offs on Sunday.

 

The Lightning will attempt to close out the series on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena in Florida.

Lightning Take Lead in Eastern Conference Final in OT

Dan Boyle (Miami) tied the game with 1:56 remaining in regulation, but the New York Rangers still went down to defeat, 6-5, in overtime on Wednesday night in Florida. The Tampa Bay Lightning now hold a two games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final.

It was New York's first OT setback in five NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games this spring, and it also marked the second straight contest that it allowed six goals, following a 6-2 defeat on Monday in Game 2 in Manhattan.

Boyle set up the Rangers' first goal of the evening as New York took a 2-0 lead, with Derek Stepan (Wisconsin), Chris Kreider (Boston College) and Ryan McDonagh (Wisconsin) all drawing assists. Tampa Bay struck back with four straight tallies spanning the first and second periods, the last by Alex Killorn (Harvard) to give him three goals in his last two outings.

The Rangers, who finished with two power-play goals in four chances, tied the contest as Stepan set up their third goal late in the second stanza, before McDonagh scored the tying marker early in the third session off an assist from Kevin Hayes (Boston College). The Lightning then regained the lead, 5-4, with less than six minutes left, setting the stage for Boyle's temporary heroics before Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov wristed home the game-winner 3:33 into sudden death.

Ben Bishop (Maine) finished with 23 saves for the Lightning, who outshot the Rangers, 40-28. Game 4 is Friday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.