Puck to groin and sickness on bench in Tampa’s disgustingly good win

NEW YORK – After shutting out the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final, Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop was asked about a significantly more painful moment before the Sunday night contest at MSG. 

Did he take a puck to a “delicate region” during warm-ups?

“You hit the nail on the head there,” he told Scott Oake of Hockey Night In Canada, as millions of fans wince simultaneously.

Bishop took a Nikita Nesterov shot to the lower extremities, crumpled to the ice and left warm-ups. What di Nesterov say after seeing Bishop in pain? “Sorry bro.”

“His close ones, that he’s close to in life, were probably a little nervous,” said coach Jon Cooper.

But his starting the pivotal game was in never in doubt, and Bishop shut out a Rangers team that hung 10 goals on him in the last two games. Which naturally means someone else will have to smack a puck at his under carriage before Game 6, because hockey is nothing if not a superstitious sport.

Then again, that might mean someone with a harder shot takes him out. As Anton Stralman said after hearing is was Nesterov that injured Bishop in warmups: “Oh, it was a muffin. That’s fine.”

Beyond Bishop’s warm-up mishap, the Lightning were dealing with another awkwardly stomach churning issue on their bench.

The Lightning dressed seven defensemen, and good thing they did: Braydon Coburn was limited to 5:43 in the game, and didn’t see a shift after the first period.

Injury? Discipline?

No, said Cooper, although he wouldn’t completely confirm that Coburn was sick. 

Like, really sick.

Like get the mop. 

“I don’t know what TV cameras picked stuff up. We had issues on the bench, so I’ve got to find out more of what’s going on,” said Cooper.  

“Yeah … don’t walk on our bench, OK? That’s what I’m going to say.”

Let it never be said Jon Cooper can’t paint a picture with his words.

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