TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning’s early lead went away quickly Thursday night, then goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy disappeared down the tunnel.
After allowing three goals to Anaheim in the first 10:41 of the second period, including two in a 22-second span, Vasilevskiy was pulled in favor of backup Brian Elliott.
Maybe it was a message by coach Jon Cooper to Vasilevskiy’s teammates, who suddenly struggled to protect the front of the net after a solid first period. But pulling Vasilevskiy for performance issues is a rare move for Cooper.
The Lightning ultimately responded, getting a last-second extra-attacker goal from Nikita Kucherov, then Anthony Cirelli’s winner 1:58 into the 3-on-3 overtime for a 4-3 win over the Ducks while also clinching a playoff berth.
Shortly after Vasilevskiy returned to the Lightning bench, Kucherov scored a tying goal with 12.3 seconds remaining in regulation, snapping a shot from above the circles through traffic and into the net.
Moments after the Lightning had officially clinched a postseason berth by way of the Islanders’ loss to Pittsburgh, Alex Killorn scored 61 seconds into overtime. But after a lengthy review, the play was ruled offside, extending the overtime.
Killorn found Cirelli parked by the far post, and Cirelli wristed a shot into the back of the net to win it.
Vasilevskiy, the reigning Conn Smythe winner, is the backbone of the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning teams. He hadn’t been pulled from a regular-season game in more than four years.
He’s the main reason the Lightning believe they can win a third. As long as No. 88 is between the pipes, they have a chance, players often say.
Vasilevskiy’s hook Thursday night was peculiar. He played magnificently in his past two games, seemingly regaining his form, and he has had more significant road bumps this season than against the Ducks.
After Anaheim forward Troy Terry deflected a shot into the net midway through the second period, Vasilevskiy skated off the ice and down the tunnel from the bench. He didn’t return.
It was the first time Vasilevskiy was pulled from a regular-season game since March 13, 2018, after allowing six goals in two periods in a 7-4 loss to Ottawa.
Vasilevskiy was pulled from Game 1 of the 2018 Eastern Conference final, when Louis Domingue entered to start the third period after the Lightning had fallen behind 4-0.
The Lightning recently made a turn defensively, allowing just two regulation goals over the past three games. Despite a 1-0 loss in Dallas on Tuesday, the Lightning played a stout game in their own end against a defensive-minded Stars team.
And on Thursday, they had twice the offensive zone time in even-strength play through two periods.
But the same defensive lapses that haunted the Lightning during their recent dip in play crept up again. The Ducks took control of the front of the net, and that made it difficult for Vasilevskiy.
The Lightning went up 2-0 on first-period goals by Ross Colton and Killorn, but Adam Henrique deflected former Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk’s puck on net 3:42 into the second. Henrique then beat Erik Cernak to the front of the net, deflecting a shot past Vasilevskiy with 9:41 left in the second.
Twenty-two seconds later, Terry then deflected a puck on net by former Lightning defenseman Ondrej Sustr past Vasilevskiy, and he was immediately pulled.
With 5:44 left in the second, a second Killorn goal was taken off the board when Anaheim’s successful challenge resulted in an offside call on the play.
Vasilevskiy did not return to the bench in the second, nor at the beginning of the third period. He finally returned to the Lightning bench with 1:51 left in the third.
