Stars’ Bishop has injury scare in Game 3

Dallas Stars (star) goalie Ben Bishop had trouble getting up after falling awkwardly making a save during the second period of Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues.
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The good news is that Bishop didn’t leave Game 3 at all. In fact, during that same frame, Bishop made one of his trademark tremendous passes to set up an Andrew Cogliano semi-breakaway, and stopped Ryan O’Reilly on a similar opportunity. Performance-wise, it’s difficult to really tell that Bishop might be dealing something, although maybe you’d make a mild argument that it had some impact on the 2-1 goal?

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Maybe Bishop and the Stars dodged a bullet, and we’re merely worried about a close call.

Still, there are a few reasons to at least monitor Bishop:

• Bishop’s injury history is undeniable.
• As one of the largest goalies in the NHL, he’s more likely to aggravate injuries new and old. That’s the disadvantage to boasting the sort of towering frame that teams covet. He’s also 32, so Bishop’s dealt with quite a bit of wear and tear, even if you ignore his size.
• The situation could get worse once adrenaline wears off, whether that may mean during an intermission, or possibly after Game 3 altogether.
• In the foreseeable situation where Bishop plays hurt, it’s possible he could be less mobile. Would he be less able to move post-to-post? Might he struggle to get to loose pucks and rebounds?

On the bright side, if Bishop needs to miss time, Anton Khudobin was almost as lights-out this season as Bishop was, aside from when Bishop somehow found yet another gear toward the end of the regular season. Khudobin’s a veteran, although rust would be a consideration, as he hasn’t played since April 5.

Again, this could be concern over nothing, but it certainly looked painful. Then again, goalies can bend their bodies like Gumby, in ways that almost seem inhuman, so it might not be as bad as it looked.

Game 3 is on NBC; stream it here.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at [e-mail] or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.