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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: LIGHTNING v PENGUINS

May 16, 2016

Mike Sullivan

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Game Two

Q. Ben, can you put into words what that was like the other night?
BEN BISHOP: Yeah, I mean, it was just a scary experience for myself. You saw the play, fell back, and felt something I've never felt before, and just pain right away.
Your mind just starts racing. You start thinking the worst thing. I'm thinking my leg is broken. Then you start -- your mind just starts spinning, and I was really scared.
Obviously went off the ice and got everything checked out, and all the X-rays were negative and the MRI was okay. Now it's just a matter of getting back to where it feels good again. But definitely just one of the scary things that have happened to me. It's funny when something like that happens and your mind just starts racing and just thinking the worst, and luckily it's not that bad.

Q. Now that -- you've got to feel much better and relieved at the opportunity that you have to come back. Now the question is how much is it going to take for you to come back, and do you feel pretty positive that you've got that shot?
BEN BISHOP: Yeah, absolutely. Just take it day by day right now. Feels better than it did yesterday, and it's just a matter of getting to where it feels good enough to think that you can go out there and help the team win.

Q. That was such a horrifying -- to see that on the ice. How hard was that for your family and friends to see that, and probably didn't know right away what was happening to you?
BEN BISHOP: Yeah, my phone definitely blew up. A lot of people sending prayers for you. I'd like to thank everybody that did that. That means a lot. I'm sure my family was scared. Obviously I talked to them afterwards as soon as I could and let them know what was going on. But yeah, everybody was pretty scared, but at the same time very thankful for all the texts and all the messages. I appreciate that.

Q. Two-parter here. Was it like a pain thing at first or was it something you felt that you've never felt before, and are you still in pain?
BEN BISHOP: Well, when it happened, yeah, it was a feeling that I'd never felt, and then all of a sudden kind of pressure and pain. First thing I thought, I thought I broke my leg. That's what I was thinking. And it was just like -- you're just thinking the worst and you're just upset and you think your season is over and your summer is over, and how long it's going to take to get back. It's funny how much stuff you can think about in a short period of time.
Afterwards it was pretty painful, and then as the night went on and then the next day, it's slowly gotten better. It's not too painful right now, but going out there and playing hockey is different than just walking around.

Q. Couple of things. One, were you surprised that the MRI was X-rays revealed that everything was okay, and can you tell us where it is, and have you been on the ice yet?
BEN BISHOP: Yeah, I mean, as I came up the ice and I think you kind of settle down a little bit, your emotions kind of settle a little bit, and obviously doctor was messing around with it and you could tell didn't think it was -- from my opinion, you think the bone is sticking out of your leg. So when he's feeling around, obviously you know it's going to be okay. And then the MRI, you're just thankful that it's not anything serious.
As far as where it is, I guess we just have to leave it as lower leg.

Q. Have you been on the ice yet?
BEN BISHOP: We just went out there and stepped on it and just tried to see how it felt.

Q. With skates?
BEN BISHOP: With skates, yeah.

Q. What was it that caused you to think --
BEN BISHOP: It was just the feeling, and then there's just pressure and pain right away, just kind of the way that it almost felt like somebody had slashed me on my -- slashed me. And I was like, oh, what was that. And then all of a sudden you just felt the pressure and pain right away, then your mind starts racing, and I thought I had broken it, but thank goodness that wasn't the case.

Q. What about Andrei's performance coming in? He hasn't played much the last month, and he was busy when he got in there, at least the last half of the game. What was your take on his play?
BEN BISHOP: Yeah, he's a great goalie. He's a fun guy to work with on and off the ice, and personally, you know, I know that he can go in there and do the job. He's a young guy, but he's got a lot of experience. He got to play in a Stanley Cup Final game last year, and he played really well, and he's played well all season.
There's been a couple times where the score has gotten a little higher than you'd probably like, but if you watched the games he played, he played really well in those games and kind of kept the team in it even though the score was a little high. I think the guys in the room, or I know the guys in the room and myself, we have full confidence in him. He's a great young goalie. He's got a bright future in this league.

Q. Just the play of all the guys, seems like no matter what happens to this team you continue to find ways to win.
BEN BISHOP: Yeah, well, I think you look at we've already used 28, 29 guys in this Playoffs, and I think it just shows a lot about the organization. You need depth to get this far. Just to get here with one lineup -- we have different guys stepping up every night, and I think it's a big reason why we are where we are.

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