By John Coppinger
The Tampa Bay Lightning took a huge Game 2 from the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals despite having to change goaltenders three times in the third period.
The fun started at 12:43 of the third period with the score tied at 3-3 and the Lightning about to go on the power play. Ben Bishop left the game and was replaced by Andrei Vasilevskiy. The next stoppage was at 11:11 after Jason Garrison’s go-ahead goal, and that’s when Bishop came back in. Bishop had spent most of the time away with his mask on and still on the bench, leading one to figure it was an equipment problem and no big deal.
But then Bishop left again at the 7:41 mark in favor of Vasilevskiy, and that time it was for good. So what was the deal?
Yahoo NHL reporter Nick Cotsonika sayd Bishop was not available after the game because he had to undergo "treatment" and that his absences were not restroom related.
Well there goes the easy theory of “flu." And this certainly creates questions for Game 3, which aren’t going to be answered by coach Jon Cooper.
“I hate to be that guy, but I will not answer a question about the goaltending," Cooper said via The Canadian Press' Stephen Whyno.
I guess we will just have to wait until Game 3 to find out who will be in net for the Lightning, but there is some speculation about what is wrong with Bishop:
"Looks like a knee injury for Ben Bishop. We had a visual of the injury before he left the first time," TVA sports reporter Renaud Lavoie tweeted.
For what it’s worth, Vasilevskiy, who was born five weeks after the Rangers won the Cup in ’94, went five-for-five in saves in Game 2 to get the win.
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