Tampa Bay Lightning fans held their collective breaths Friday when Vezina Trophy finalist Ben Bishop went down with a knee injury in Game 1, but thankfully backup netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy was ready to calm their nerves.
Vasilevskiy made 25 saves in relief, and although it's unknown how long Bishop will be out, the Lightning crease belongs to the 21-year-old for the time being.
Fear not, Lightning supporters, it's not completely uncommon for a backup to take the reins in the playoffs.
Here are three instances when an unsuspecting goalie was thrust into the postseason spotlight:
Jussi Markkanen - 2006
Riding the momentum of a magical playoff run, the Edmonton Oilers saw their underdog lives flash before their eyes when starter Dwayne Roloson went down in Game 1 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.
Markkanen got the nod in Game 2 - a 5-0 loss - but the Finn turned things around. He allowed one goal in Game 3, then posted a shutout in a do-or-die Game 6. He led the Oilers to Game 7, but ultimately lost 3-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes in the championship-deciding contest.
Steve Shields - 1997
Dominik Hasek was the backbone of the Buffalo Sabres in the 1990's, leading the team to the playoffs nearly every season during his Hall of Fame career. It was a different story in 1997, however.
Hasek won his third of six Vezina trophies as the Sabres won their division, but a knee injury in the postseason's opening round saw Shields take over.
Shields helped the Sabres take down the Ottawa Senators in seven games, then remained in goal versus the Philadelphia Flyers, who ended Buffalo's run in five games with Hasek sidelined.
Matt Murray - 2016
Vasilevskiy's counterpart knows the feeling.
Murray took over for an ailing Marc-Andre Fleury, and while some wrote the Penguins off, the rookie has shined.
The 21-year-old has a .929 save percentage and 2.15 goals against average in his first taste of playoff action, and has proven to be more than adequate between the pipes.
