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​Which Ben Bishop Will Show up in Game 7?

One of the NHL's most erratic goalies will place his reputation on the line at Madison Square Garden on Friday
Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

It didn't take long for Ben Bishop to move on.

After the lanky goaltender was tagged for five goals and pulled in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, Bishop told reporters that "every game's different" and that "you can't think about the past."

That's fair. He wanted to put that stinker of a contest behind him and focus on the biggest game of his career Friday night in one of the world's most legendary arenas.

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If Bishop isn't thinking about the past, however, it may be because there really isn't much to consider. We really don't have much to go on when it comes to the 28-year-old. He's been outstanding at times, as he was in the first three games against Montreal and during a 26-save shutout in Game 5 against the Rangers. Bishop's also been downright lost, such as in Games 4 and 6 when he allowed five goals apiece in each contest.

The knock on Bishop before the playoffs, unfounded or not, was that he was a shaky goaltender who played nervous at times. Bishop's 13 games of playoff experience, all from this season, entering the conference finals were the lowest total of any goalie heading into the final four since 2010. Antti Niemi backstopped the Chicago Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 49 years in his first playoff run, and Michael Leighton—a man with no playoff experience, either—subbed in for the injured Brian Boucher that same year and miraculously posted three shutouts in four wins over the Canadiens.

Goalies, they're an unpredictable lot.

Friday's Game 7 is the type of affair that can make or break a goalie's legacy or, more importantly for a young 'tender like Bishop, their reputation. If Bishop can bounce back and unseat the King of Game 7s, Henrik Lundqvist, from his throne at MSG (where he has never lost a Game 7), Bishop will solidify his place as one of the NHL's best young goalies, a realm where stability and grace under pressure are the keys to the castle.

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To recover, Bishop will have to find his game early against a Rangers team that has quickly discovered how to score again. Seven of their first nine wins during the playoffs came by a 2-1 score, but the Rangers reeled off 17 goals over their last four games.

It's been a series of momentum shifts, one in which Bishop has never been particularly great. He faced 166 shots in each of the Lightning's previous two series and put up a strong 0.930 save percentage. Through those first two rounds Bishop had nearly silenced all of his doubters.

It's been a different story against New York. He's been unable to steal a game and his save percentage has dropped to 0.888. Fatigue? Loss of confidence? When it comes to goalies and small sample sizes like Bishop's, there's no easy answer.

Of course, this is what makes games like Friday night's so darn entertaining—it's the stuff of heroes and goats.

Across the ice from Bishop will be Lundqvist, whose legacy and reputation are all but set in stone. He might not have a Stanley Cup ring, but he has a history of winning when it counts. The pressure for the Rangers will largely be on their aging core to continue their scoring ways.

Throughout the regular season, Bishop was pulled four times—first against the Penguins in January before winning his next three games and allowing only four goals.

In February, we got a look at the erratic Bishop when he was yanked against Los Angeles. He bounced back with a win the next day, but was then pulled again the following game. A four-game win streak would follow, but late in March he was pulled for the final time against Nashville, giving up three goals on 11 shots.

A half-decent effort against Detroit in his next game without any offensive support meant a 4-0 loss.

In Madison Square Garden on Friday night, half-decent likely won't be good enough.