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Lightning's Goaltending Situation Remains A Mystery

By Chris Emma--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper was mum on goalie Ben Bishop's mysterious exit from the Lightning's 4-3 win over the Blackhawks in Game 2 on Saturday evening.

So when Cooper was asked to follow up on his goaltender for Game 3, he found a new way to stay secretive.

"In honor of the 11-year anniversary of our organization's first Stanley Cup," Cooper said Sunday, "How would John Tortorella answer that question?"

With a nod to Totorella, the Lightning's outspoken former coach, Cooper concealed who will be in net for Monday's Game 3 at the United Center.

Bishop left in the third period of Game 2, then returned shortly after. Then, with just more than seven minutes left in the contest, he went off to the dressing room again and didn't return. Bishop wasn't made available to the media Sunday in Chicago. It remains to be seen if Bishop was injured or sick, though Cooper did admit he was forced to leave the game.

In place of Bishop, 20-year-old rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy stepped in and preserved the lead. The Lightning have full belief in their backup should he be put into the starting role.

"Just knowing Vassy and the way he prepares, we were pretty confident when he was called to go in,"  Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn said.

Added Tampa Bay star forward Steven Stamkos: "He works extremely hard in practice and he's ready."

The Stanley Cup Final stands even at 1-1 with the Blackhawks taking Game 1 by a 2-1 score. Bishop has stood tall in net, while Vasilevskiy is a bit of an unknown, even with the strong endorsement from his teammates.

"We're confident in both goalies," Tampa Bay defenseman Ondrej Palat said. "They're both highly skilled. It doesn't change anything."

Cooper did concede that Bishop "could play" in Game 3, though didn't immediately name a starter. The Lightning hold morning skate at the United Center, which should shed light on who starts on Monday night.

For now, Cooper is keeping his goaltending situation a mystery.

Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.

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