Tampa Bay Keeps Putting the Zing in Lightzing

When Steven Stamkos, Anton Strålman, and Eric Condra were injured towards the end of the season and into the playoffs, many figured the Tampa Bay Lightning were done like dinner.

The Florida Panthers did pass them to win the Atlantic Division, but look who's still standing.

To date, the Lightning have dominated in the playoffs, defeating Detroit and the Islanders in five games each to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Then in game one of the conference finals against the surging Pittsburgh Penguins, the 'Ning lost one of the NHL's best goalies, Ben Bishop, early in the game and still won, 3-1.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, who'd lost his last five regular season games, stopped 25 of 26 shots in the victory.

As with every sports injury, Bishop's listed as day-to-day. 

And as Keith Olbermann once added, aren't we all?

The Pens were coming off an emotional six -ame victory over the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washingon Capitals, claiming the last game in overtime on a goal by Nick Bonino.

Pittsburgh has to be the favorite with Bishop questionable but need to get more out of their stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who've been silent for the most part this spring.

Dudes need to get back to where they were in the good ol' days of the regular season.

Marc-André Fleury has been out for all of the playoffs, but rookie Matthew Murray has been spectacular against the Rangers and Capitals in helping the Penguins advance.

With the weekend off to stew about losing home-ice advantage, Pittsburgh will surely come out strong on Monday night, but no matter what the circumstances, the Lightning have shown they're never out of any game, no matter how many people they lose to injury.