Ben Bishop / Brandon Prust

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

 

 

There has been much talk about the check on Bishop from Prust in last night's game...of course, depending on whom you listen to (either homer Habs or homer Bolts fans), they will tell you the other did some unspeakable evil.

 

Thing is, Prust and Bishop have a bit of history.

Without question, Ben Bishop is the reason many Bolts games turn up wins for the team...and I believe Brandon Prust understands that all too well.

 

Here is the play from last night, followed by some of the shenanigans from last year.

 

https://youtu.be/Q3DC6GyqqzA

 

 

https://youtu.be/cntA-Lr09E0

 

 

On last night's play...intent to injure? I think not. If Brandon Prust REALLY wanted to injure Bishop, he could have drove him harder than he did.

Get under both the goalie's and the Lightning's skin? Absolutely.

 

Prust understands it is Bishop's play that has kept the Canadiens from garnering wins against the Bolts this season...and when the Habs swept the Lightning in last season's playoffs, there was no Ben Bishop to be found. I think many will agree that series goes alot differently had Bishop been playing in it instead of Anders Lindback.

 

Even going back to last season during that regular season game when Brandon Prust tried getting in the head of Ben Bishop (2nd video), it is pretty evident Prust realizes the Bolts are a WHOLE lot easier to deal with if Bishop isn't focused.

Why else would he go out of his way to try and antagonize the Tampa Bay netminder?

 

Really, what players go and bother the other team's goalie...ever? You just don't see that normally.

 

In last night's play, Prust's attempt at 'firing up' his team backfired.

Prust ended up fighting Mike Angelidis twice, and no disrespect to Angelidis (I happen to think he is an excellent heart n soul guy), the fact that all Prust got for his trouble was two tussels with a career AHL guy speaks volumes as to how well the Lightning handled the attempts to get Bishop off his game.

 

Sure the rest of the Lightning reacted to the hit on Bishop...as they should have.

Maybe Bishop DID ham things up a bit......but the way I see it, if Bishop had the wherewithal to 'ham it up', then he was in full control over his emotions and was in no real danger of letting Prust's antics derail him from his job as backstop for the Lightning.

 

It was a tightrope for sure that Prust walked...after all, if someone on the Bolts had run over, or checked Carey Price, you can be sure that the Canadiens would react VERY quickly....and leading the charge would probably be Prust himself.

He figured, he knew how upsetting that would be to his team (or any team for that matter) to have their goalie hit...and tried doing so to get Bishop and the Lightning off their game......hey, it's the sort of thing guys try to do when their team seemingly has no answer for the other, no?

 

Thoughts and comments?

[flyerrod]

Maybe Bishop DID ham things up a bit......but the way I see it, if Bishop had the wherewithal to 'ham it up', then he was in full control over his emotions and was in no real danger of letting Prust's antics derail him from his job as backstop for the Lightning.

 

This^^^^^^^

But, that in no way gives Prust the right to make contact with the goalie and he got 2 minutes for interference which at least in this situation was the right call. The Habs have to know that they will only go as far as their goalie carries them so it would be wise for them to suggest to Prust to cut the crap before it backs up and spills onto his own goalie.........

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

This^^^^^^^

But, that in no way gives Prust the right to make contact with the goalie and he got 2 minutes for interference which at least in this situation was the right call. The Habs have to know that they will only go as far as their goalie carries them so it would be wise for them to suggest to Prust to cut the crap before it backs up and spills onto his own goalie.........

 

Exactly, on the bolded.

 

To be honest though, I don't think there is anyone on the Lightning that would go out of their way to hit Price on purpose just because Prust did so on Bishop.

Maybe Brandon Morrow...maybe Brian Boyle....I am pretty sure Radko Gudas would have done something like that.

 

But guys like Morrow and Boyle have been around for awhile and I think they know damned well what Prust was up to...and it failed.

And of course, Gudas is no longer with the team.

 

And as a Bolts fan, I really don't want the Bolts going after Price.

What for?

To give the Habs a 'rallying point'?  To 'fire them up' because now someone is after THEIR guy??

 

Look, the Bolts have handled the Canadiens quite well on the ice and on the scoreboard and on the season series.

Tampa Bay need do nothing more than what they've already been doing....that is score on Montreal, make big saves (Bishop) on them when needed, finish hard clean checks (Anton Stralman, for instance).

 

If I am the Habs, I definitely want a change of pace....but if the Bolts are smart, TB will NOT be the ones giving them that change of pace.

Status quo is good for the Bolts, bad for the Habs as they stand....keep it that way.

 

But to your point, @flyerrod , yea, I can see how Prust's shenanigans can easily backfire where Carey Price becomes the target.

Again, the history between Bishop and Prust goes back to last year, and maybe this is just Prust focusing on Bishop himself, but if he were try doing that continuously throughout the league, chances are, his own goaltender COULD become a target as well.

 

Then again, no other team in the NHL currently has the Habs number quite like Bolts do, do they?

 

I just want to see this translate to the playoffs should these two meet again there.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

You know, looking back on last night's game, Prust was basically trying to put out fires all over the place for his team.

Those fights with Mike Angelidis were also about hits the Syracuse captain was putting on Montreal players.

 

This in addition to him trying to get Ben Bishop thinking about things other than stopping pucks.

 

And on Bishop, there was also an incident where Alex Galchenyuk high sticked Bishop while he was in the crease, then continued to jab away to get a goal.

Ok, granted, those things go on, and the Bolts reacted to that while Montreal got a penalty, but seems to me the Habs know they best do everything possible to 'upset' Bishop whenever possible.

 

I gotta say though....I think Ben Bishop is crazy like a fox on this.

I think he knows what Montreal is up to....and knows how to play things where it works out in his favor.....even if it means putting a little polish or adding a bit more to what is going on overall... I.E. a bit of embellishment, you know, because since Montreal is going to try to get to him whenever possible, he will try and get an edge during those same encounters as well.

 

Over the time Ben Bishop has been a Bolt, he has shown that he can be a bit fiery as well.

League hasn't had real spark plug goalies probably since Tom Barrasso, Ron Hextall, and Patrick Roy.

 

I think its refreshing...and the Habs are a team that are helping him along in honing his skills in the "put one over on you" department.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Another meeting between the Habs and Bolts...

 

Will there be MORE shenanigans between Brandon Prust and Ben Bishop?

 

Or maybe they save it for if and when the teams meet in the playoffs? 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

No specific Prust-Bishop confrontations, but so far in the game between the Habs and Bolts BOTH teams are crowding each other's goaltender.

 

Montreal takes every chance to crash bodies into the net....even after whistles. Seems pretty obvious trying to really get to Bishop that way.

To the Bolts' credit, Bishop is keeping his cool, the team is giving some of it back to Price, and the defensemen of the Lightning are right there to show the Habs they aren't putting up with any of their nonsense.

 

Still though....main players Prust and Bishop....Prust can't help himself...he HAS to get himself involved, no? 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Another chapter in the Brandon Prust-Ben Bishop saga?

Well, indirectly, yes.

As we all know from this thread

http://www.hockeyforums.net/index.php/topic/64968-was-ref-brad-watson-playing-god-or-is-prust-a-coward/

Prust had some issues with an official, things were said, some things got public, etc, etc...

But in all that, was Brandon Prust DELIBERATELY making contact and tripping Ben Bishop behind the net as Bishop went to play a puck.

This was of course, well after the Bolts' play and the Habs' team meltdown pretty much ensured the Lightning were going to take Game 2 of their best of 7 series, giving Tampa Bay the 2-0 edge.

Prust knows darn well that a focused concentrated Bishop is harder to beat than the Ben Bishop who may be worried about shenanigans, thus a combination of that line of thinking and frustrations from the series thus far, probably factored into Brandon's decision to go after the TB goalie.

Now, Prust probably felt that Ben Bishop "hammed" up the fall, and in all truth, he is most likely correct.

You see, while Mr. Prust is trying to play the role of enforcer/agitator/message sender for HIS team, Mr. Bishop, on his side, has been refining the art of the 'drawn call'.

I have come to realize, and admit, that Ben Bishop DOES play things up a bit.

Everything from the contact, to the chirping he does himself during games, to even getting up 'slowly', when later on, he appears to be perfectly fine.

Embellishments on Bishop's part?

I guess one could argue that. Then again, if they are, he has gotten so good at them, that they actually seem borderline at best.

And it's not like Bishop goes around doing those sorts of things game in, game out to everyone in the league.

He seems to save that stuff for Montreal....for Brandon Prust in particular.

So while Prust thinks he is 'sending messages' or doing things to 'spark his team' (which, frankly, is his role on the team), he should probably be well aware that the target of his ire, Ben Bishop, is likely doing the same thing....and using the special goalie rules to get Mr. Prust "in trouble".

Fascinating dynamic these two have going with one another.

So far though, I must say (and happy about, obviously ), that this little 'war' these two have going on has been squarely going in Bishop's favor.

Usually, goalies are different sorts of odd ducks...guys who are mostly quiet, keep out of the spotlight....but methinks Ben Bishop relishes the spotlight just a bit...but in the process, does add color to the position, and as long as he isn't hurting his team or outright breaking any NHL rules, I am happy with the way he is going about his business.

Tampa Bay goalie.....agitator and counter agitator. I kinda like that.

He is definitely never dull out there....especially when it comes to the Habs and Brandon Prust.

Wonder what these two have in store for Game 3?

[jammer2]

  Hopefully, Bishop can take out Prust with a nice two handed SWIPE that goes undetected...could not happen to a better human being!!!   Don't hold back Ben....DICE AND SLICE!!