TAMPA, Fla. — Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has played a lot of hockey the past three seasons, including every game of the past two postseasons that ended with Stanley Cup championships.
So when Vasilevskiy’s startling numbers start to slip, it’s natural to think he might be tired, that his minutes are catching up to him, that the tread might be coming off the tires of the player who will take the Lightning as far as they will go this postseason.
After Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Capitals, Vasilevskiy has lost five of his past eight starts and is just 6-8 over his past 14. His .902 save percentage during that span is dramatically lower than the .921 mark of his first 41 games.
He’s allowed four or more goals five times in his last 14 games, including each of his past two. By comparison, he allowed four or more just six times in his first 41 games.
So many factors go into how well a goaltender plays, among the most important the way his teammates play defensively in front of him. It’s no secret that the Lightning have struggled defending their net during the past month, which correlates directly with Vasilevskiy’s numbers sliding.
During the second intermission of Wednesday’s nationally televised game, TNT color analyst and former Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said he thought Vasilevskiy and some of the Lightning’s other core players looked tired.
“Obviously, (Lightning coach) Jon Cooper knows what he’s doing,” Tocchet said. “I still think he’s overplayed (Vasilevskiy) a little too much. I think 60 games is a lot to ask from this guy over the years. … I think he’s probably about five games too much, just from the outside looking in.”
Lightning TV color analyst Brian Engblom, however, doesn’t put much stock in Vasilevskiy’s recent numbers.
“It’s one of those things right now (that’s magnified because) they’re losing,” Engblom said. “Were there a couple of goals (he could have stopped)? Yeah, he’s human. The thing about the goaltending position, it’s the most difficult in all the team sports. The red light goes on when you make a mistake.
“Is he tired of playing behind what they’re doing lately? Hell, yeah. Any goalie would be. There’s probably six teams in the league where their goalies have to play behind that almost every night. How tired do you think they are? Don’t worry about Vasy.”
In starting 55 of the Lightning’s 70 games (78.5 percent), Vasilevskiy, 27, is on pace for a career high in his eighth NHL season. Add the fact that he’s started every game past two postseasons — 48 total, not counting the round-robin games in 2020 — and Vasilevskiy has started 83.3 percent of his team’s games since the NHL returned from the pandemic pause 20 months ago.
The Lightning coaching staff is meticulous about plotting Vasilevskiy’s schedule well in advance to make sure he doesn’t wear down. They identify days for him to have lighter practices and strategically slot backup Brian Elliott’s starts. With experience, Vasilevskiy — who sticks to a strict daily routine with practice and training — has gotten better at picking his spots to rest.
“I think over the years we’ve been better at managing his practice time, how long we’re staying on the ice and what we’re going to do extra,” Lightning goaltending coach Frantz Jean said earlier this season. “That’s how we can manage his workload. He plays so much that he doesn’t need to practice hours at a time. He’s gotten way better at it, way more mature in the way he handles it, the way he understands it.”
Last season, Vasilevskiy started 39 of the Lightning’s first 50 games, then sat for three of the final six regular-season contests, missing back-to-back games in Detroit when he didn’t travel with the team. He went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason’s top player.
With a dependable backup like Elliott in net, Vasilevskiy could get a similar rest down the stretch entering this coming postseason.
“It’s the toughest position, and he’s used to that,” Engblom said. “God knows if he hasn’t proven it by having a shutout in five consecutive closing-out series games in a row — that is ridiculous — nobody has ever done that. He’s just fine. He’s a machine. He’s an experienced guy. He is so dedicated. It’s not just skill, it’s mental fortitude. It’s preparation. Don’t worry about that situation. They’ve mapped this out, the coaches do.”
