Case of the Missing Mario Puzzles Media : Stanley Cup: Will Lemieux play against the North Stars tonight? Just where is he, anyway?

How’s Mario?

That was the overriding question Sunday night after Pittsburgh Penguin center Mario Lemieux missed Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals because of back spasms suffered while he was unlacing his skates after the pregame warm-up.

Where’s Mario?

That was the overriding question Monday when Penguin General Manager Craig Patrick refused to make Lemieux available to reporters despite pleas from league officials and media representatives.

Pittsburgh Coach Bob Johnson would only say that, yes, Lemieux was feeling a lot better, but no, he was not prepared to predict whether his star center will be available for Game 4 tonight (5, PDT) in Met Center against the Minnesota North Stars, who lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1.

“I can’t look you in the eye and say, ‘He’ll play.’ I don’t know,” Johnson insisted. “We won’t know until 7 p.m. (today). It was his decision not to play (Sunday), and it will be his decision whether to play (tonight).”

According to reports, Lemieux was seen walking upright from a health club to his hotel room Monday morning after doing stretching exercises, a pretty good indication that he will be on the ice tonight, barring another setback.

After Lemieux was forced out of the seventh game of the Penguins’ opening-round series against the New Jersey Devils because of back spasms, he was able to return two days later for the first game of the division finals against the Washington Capitals.

There was a definite chill at a Monday Met Center news conference that had nothing to do with the ice.

Reporters were angry when Patrick and Johnson showed up without any players.

Patrick and Johnson were furious at the alleged “hounding” of Lemieux by several reporters during his health club workout.

And Johnson expressed further displeasure at a Met Center ice show Monday night, which prevented Pittsburgh from practicing earlier in the day.

All this sound and fury from the Penguin camp, and none of it directed at the North Stars, who temporarily have been pushed into the background, although they are only two victories from knocking Pittsburgh out of the finals.

It’s hardly on par with demanding better press access to the war front from Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, but denying access to one of hockey’s biggest names in the sport’s annual showcase event caused a bitter confrontation.

“Mario has to do everything he can to get ready,” Patrick said. “He needs every minute. If that means he can’t spend 15 minutes talking to (reporters), that’s the way it’s going to be. We’re trying to win a hockey game, and he’s trying to be as ready as he can be.”

According to Johnson, Lemieux’s morning workout was interrupted by a television cameraman who burst into the health club and shot film of the Penguin player stretching his aching muscles.

“(Lemieux) was very disappointed,” Johnson said. “As a matter of fact, I was going to bring three of my star players over here, but they were so upset at what happened to Mario, they refused to come.”

Uh, not exactly true said two Pittsburgh reporters.

Their version: The cameraman shot only through a door from a hallway. The players were told not to come to the news conference by the Penguins. And Lemieux admitted he was ordered not to talk.

Of course, Lemieux can’t be blamed if he gets questions like one Monday directed at Johnson. A Pittsburgh radio reporter wanted to know, in all seriousness, if the Penguins, in an effort to prevent a recurrence of the fluke injury, considered hiring someone to unlace Lemieux’s skates for him.

Honest.

Monday evening, envelopes were slipped under reporters’ hotel room doors. Inside each was an apology from the Penguins concerning any “earlier misunderstanding” regarding access to players, along with a sheet of quotes from Lemieux.

Speaking to a Penguin official, Lemieux said: “I feel pretty good. It was just like the seventh game against New Jersey, when I had to leave the game. After 10-12 hours, my back felt better and I was able to play in our first game against Washington. I hope I can play (tonight).”

If the Penguins hope to get back in this series, they have a few other things to worry about besides reporters and ice shows.

Such as:

--Can they make up for the loss of Lemieux, should he not return? He has 13 playoff goals, a league-leading 35 points and scored the most electrifying goal of the series in Game 2, sparking Pittsburgh to its only victory.

With Bryan Trottier taking Lemieux’s spot, the line of Trottier, Mark Recchi and Bob Errey had only an assist from Trottier and two missed shots from Errey to show for the frustrating evening.

--What has happened to Recchi? The Penguin right wing, who had 31 playoff points at the start of the finals, second only to Lemieux’s 35, still has 31. Recchi has not scored or assisted in three games.

--How do the Penguins beat the North Stars in Met Center? Minnesota is 20-2-2 at home since mid-January and has won eight in a row on home ice in the playoffs. The North Stars’ aggressive, young defense and balanced four-line offense has excelled at home.

If the Penguins don’t come up with answers to these questions, Lemieux won’t be the only one to disappear.

NHL Notes

The North Stars (27-39-14) are the 15th club to reach the finals after finishing below .500 in the regular season. If they win the Cup, they will be only the third sub-.500 team to do so, joining the 1938 Chicago Blackhawks and the 1949 Toronto Maple Leafs.