Lightning vs. Penguins: Game 1 Live Score, Highlights for 2016 NHL Playoffs

Tampa Bay 3, Pittsburgh 1 (Tampa Bay leads series 1-0) 

Everything seemed to go against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the start of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, but that didn't affect them much as they downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 on Friday night. 

Tampa Bay lost goalie Ben Bishop to a leg injury 12 minutes into the game and played without Tyler Johnson for a long stretch as well. 

After the Bishop injury, the Lightning attack woke up and benefited from the pressure with 1:14 left in the opening stanza, as Alex Killorn scored the opening goal of the contest on a backhand. 

Ondrej Palat extended Tampa Bay's advantage to two goals at the start of the second period, punishing Matt Murray for letting a rebound bounce in front of the net. 

Jonathan Drouin secured a three-goal lead with 1:35 left in the second, but Patric Hornqvist responded 40 seconds later with Pittsburgh's only tally of the series opener. 

The Penguins controlled the puck throughout the final period, but they were unable to beat Lightning backup Andrei Vasilevskiy, who made 25 saves in relief of the injured Bishop.

After a two-day break, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh will return to the ice for Game 2 on Monday at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.