Andrei Vasilevskiy gave a very strong performance. Lightning has little evidence of it.
SUNRISE: The Panthers certainly had cause for celebration. They applied constant pressure.
The Lightning also deserved to suffer this fate. They have given Florida possession of the puck and the speed.
In reference to Andrei Vasilevskiy? He was worthy of so much more.
The Lightning’s season may end sooner than expected if their goalie is unable to win a postseason game while diving, sliding, and stopping pucks from all angles.
Florida beat Tampa Bay 3-2 in overtime Tuesday night to claim the first two games of the first-round series. Furthermore, Vasilevskiy was sprawled on the ice with Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk on top of him when Carter Verhaeghe is backhanded flip found the net less than three minutes into the extra period, and three Lightning players arrived too late to help their goalie.
Captain Steven Stamkos of the Lightning stated, “I thought Vasy made some great saves.” “Tonight, both goalies gave excellent performances. Both players made some really good saves, though one saw a little bit more action than the other.”
The highlight reels for the next 24 hours—and likely for years to come—will be dominated by Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky’s incredible backhanded, no-stick, leaping save that denied Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba an open shot at the end of a rush when the score was 2-2 in the second period.
Vasilevskiy, however, faced far greater difficulty over the course of 63 minutes.
In Game 1, he managed to keep the score close, and in Game 2, he nearly forced the Lightning into overtime.
Vasilevskiy faced a plethora of open opportunities, rushes, tips, and screens in addition to the 37 shots that were directed at him.
Coach Jon Cooper of the Lightning said, “Watching two guys like that go toe-to-toe—I know I coach one of the teams—you kind of marvel at some of the saves that were made.” “Bobrovsky did not give up on that one save. You have to give him credit, even though that is probably more our fault than his.
“The two saves that Vasy made after that one, in my opinion, were the biggest. Which, at the time, could have sunk us. He kept us in it. It was a pretty sparkling performance by both guys.”
