from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

Their starting goaltender, one of the best in the business, was taken off the ice on a stretcher midway through the first period.

Their top center was the subject of a jarring knee-on-knee hit and temporarily left the game.

They were playing arguably the hottest team in the playoffs in its home building.

And they pretty much usually stink in Game 1.

Sounds like the playoff stars weren't exactly lining up for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

But not so fast.

Instead, the Lightning stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins, previously 5-1 at home in the playoffs, by a 3-1 count Friday night and announced in the wake of a peculiar and sometimes nasty game that they are not to be ignored in their bid for back-to-back Stanley Cup finals berths.

"Game 1's always huge," said Tyler Johnson as he headed for the Lightning bus late Friday night, limping noticeably thanks to a questionable knee-on-knee hit late in the first period courtesy of the Penguins' Chris Kunitz....

The Lightning entered Friday night's game 2-4 in Game 1s dating to last year's playoffs. Friday night marked a positive departure from that trend, and it came in spite of the fact Vezina Trophy nominee Ben Bishop was taken from the Consol Energy Center ice on a stretcher with 7:35 left in the first period of a scoreless game after seemingly catching his skate near one goal post and falling awkwardly in his crease.

Head coach Jon Cooper said that X-rays came back negative -- "Nothing structurally wrong, which is a relief" -- and that while Bishop was clearly injured -- he was grabbing at his lower left leg and writhing in pain on the ice -- they are hoping for the best for arguably their premier player during the regular season and into the playoffs.

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Watch the game highlights below...