NHL Playoffs, Lightning vs. Penguins Game 1: Full highlights, final score and more

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. 

Fans expect action in the Eastern Conference Final, and they got it within the first minutes of regulation. Less than three minutes into the first period, Lightning RW Ryan Callahan got a five-minute penalty for boarding Kris Letang, who collapsed against the boards in apparent pain. Letang has dealt with concussions during his career and laid motionless for several seconds. He missed approximately 10 minutes of game time before returning to the ice.

The Lightning, however, would have the final say in the period; after killing the Penguins’ power play, they pushed through the period until finally C Alex Killorn shot the puck into Pittsburgh’s net, gaining a one goal advantage.

However, before the the goal was scored, Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop sustained a possible knee injury. Bishop was scrambling to get back in the crease when his left leg appeared to get caught. The Vezina Trophy finalist clutched the leg while being tended to by trainers and was removed on a stretcher to be replaced by Andrei Vasilevskiy, a 21-year-old backup with just 11 wins on this record.

Bishop began the series 8-2 during the postseason with a 1.89 goals-against average.

The Lightning’s agony did not stop there. They lost center Tyler Johnson with a lower-body injury late in the first period when he collided with Pittsburgh’s Chris Kunitz. Johnson remained in the training room when the Lightning came out for the second period.

Yet, their loss in net did not stop the Lightning from powering through the game. At 2:33 in the second, Ondrej Palat scored on a power play when Evgeni Malkin went into the penalty box for hooking Victor Hedman. The main bulk of the period lacked any goals, but the Lightning scored again at 18:25, thanks to Jonathan Drouin. The Lightning now led the Penguins 3-0.

The deficit would grow smaller, however, less than a minute later. Patric Hornqvist put one past Vasilevskiy with less than a minute to go in the second after receiving a ridiculous pass from Sydney Crosby.

Through the second period, the Penguins led in shots on goal, with 19 to the Lightning’s 15. They also dominated in face offs, winning 26 of the 36 opportunities .

Period three lagged, but resulted in yet another boarding incident with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Ondrej Palat pushed Penguins’ Brian Dumoulin against the boards, causing a painful head collision. He received two minutes in the penalty box, but Pittsburgh was unable to capitalize on the power play.

The game ended with Hornqvist going out with a bang — literally. As the buzzer signaled the end of the game, he received a two-minute penalty for crosschecking Matt Carle.

Pittsburgh led the game in shots on goal, 35-20. Tampa Bay exceeded Pittsburgh’s PIM (11 to six) and hits (40 to 31). Clearly the Lightning are looking for a more physical series, and the Penguins need to step up their aggression.

Three Stars

LW Ondrej Palat (LIGHTNING)
Palat earned the go-ahead goal and an assist (and a penalty) during Game 1’s victory.

LW Jonathan Drouin (LIGHTNING)
Drouin scored Tampa Bay’s third goal of the evening.

RW Patric Hornqvist (PENGUINS)
Hornqvist earned Pittsburgh’s sole goal of the game.

Highlights

Ben Bishop’s injury in the first period very well could be a game-changer for the entire series.

Next Game

The Penguins once again host the Lightning at the CONSOL Energy Center for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, May 16 at 8:00 PM ET. The game will be aired on NBC Sports Network.

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