PITTSBURGH — The Tampa Bay Lightning lost top-line center Tyler Johnson and No. 1 goalie Ben Bishop in the first period of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final against the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Friday night.
Johnson was helped off the ice in the closing minutes of the first period after apparently injuring his right knee after absorbing a knee-to-knee hit from Penguins forward Chris Kunitz that drove him into the end boards.
Johnson, who led the Lightning with four goals and nine assists for 13 points in their first 10 playoff games, was assisted to the locker room but returned midway through the second period. He had 14 goals and 24 assists in 69 regular season games. Johnson’s line accounted for 17 of Tampa Bay’s first 31 goals in the playoffs this spring.
Bishop, a Vezina Trophy finalist and former University of Maine standout, appeared to injure his right leg 12:25 into the game after he played the puck to the right of the net but, as he was returning to the crease, grimaced in pain after planting his left leg and doubled over. He spent several minutes on the ice before being stretchered off. He left the arena in an ambulance.
Backup Andrei Vasilevskiy, a highly regarded 21-year-old, came on in relief of Bishop in Game 1 of the second round.
Bishop played with a torn groin during the Lightning’s Stanley Cup finals loss to Chicago last season. He was 35-25-4 with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage during the 2015-16 regular season.
Bishop started every game as Tampa Bay dropped only one game in each of its first two playoff series, giving up only six goals in his last four games.