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Goalie nods: Bishop returns; Kuemper to start

Ben Bishop

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday, April 11, 2013, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

AP

News and notes from the crease...

Bishop healthy

After missing Saturday’s loss to Pittsburgh with a lower-body injury, Ben Bishop will return to the net for Tampa tonight against Los Angeles.

Bishop, 26, has been very good to start the year and looks to have put some distance between himself and Anders Lindback for the No. 1 job. The tallest goalie in the league (Bishop’s 6-foot-7) is a perfect 3-0-0 this season with a .928 save percentage and 1.93 GAA.

Lindback, meanwhile, allowed five goals on 26 shots to the Pens on the weekend.

Kuemper time?

Reports out of the Wild camp suggest rookie netminder Darcy Kuemper could get the start tonight in Toronto over Josh Harding.

Kuemper, 23, was recalled from AHL Iowa last week after No. 1 Niklas Backstrom went down with a knee injury. Harding has been the go-to in relief but, according to Mike Russo of the Minnesota Star-Tribune, “it makes little sense to risk injury tonight to Harding in the second of back-to-backs in what is bound to be a tough game,” against Toronto.

Harding was in net last night for Minnesota’s 2-1 win over Buffalo.

UPDATE: Kuemper will indeed start, according to Russo.

Elsewhere...

-- Jonas Gustavsson will get his second straight start for Detroit while Jimmy Howard deals with a hand injury, as we reported earlier.

-- Dallas’ Dan Ellis will reportedly start tonight against Colorado and Thursday against San Jose with No. 1 Kari Lehtonen on injured reserve. No word on when prospect Jack Campbell, the club’s first-round pick in 2010, will make his NHL debut (if he does at all).