BOSTON (AP) - Mike Smith went to bed thinking he'd be in his usual backup spot as Tampa Bay's goalie. Less than 24 hours later, he stood in the Lightning's net when the puck dropped to start Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
That's a lot of confidence in a player who had never started a postseason game.
The Lightning lost 3-1 to the Boston Bruins on Monday night, moving one loss from elimination, but Smith was solid in place of playoff-tested Dwayne Roloson.
Smith stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced - the Bruins' final goal was an empty-netter by Rich Peverley with 12.1 seconds left - and he had little chance on both goals as the Bruins went ahead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.