Ben Bishop, Jon Cooper avoid starting goalie questions

ByKatie Strang ESPN logo
Monday, June 8, 2015

CHICAGO -- Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop revealed nothing in his pregame news conference and felt guilty about being so tight-lipped about his status for Game 3.

"I feel like Marshawn Lynch right now," Bishop said, joking after repeatedly evading questions about what is ailing him.

Bishop participated in the team's morning skate, but coach Jon Cooper would not say whether Bishop or 20-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiywould start.

"I don't know who's starting," Cooper said Monday morning.

Cooper said he will meet with trainers before making any determination.

Bishop left twice during the Lightning's 4-3 win in Game 2 on Saturday night. It is not clear whether he was dealing with illness, injury or both.

On Sunday, Cooper said the team will be fine if it has to go to Plan B in Game 3, calling Vasilevskiy the team's most prepared player.

"If Bish can't go tomorrow, is that a blow to us? Sure it is. But do we think the series is lost because Vasilevskiy is going in? Not a chance," Cooper said. "I don't know. I look at our tandem. I'd like to stack them up against any tandem in the league because I think we've got, you know, 1 and 1A."

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