TAMPA – Andrei Vasilevskiy stretched as wide as humanly possible, contorting his body and extending his right pad in a way that makes a casual observer feel pains of sympathy.
That extra effort would prove invaluable, allowing the Tampa Bay Lightning to put their feet under them and not get overwhelmed after dropping the first two games of the Stanley Cup final against the Colorado Avalanche.
When Avalanche striker JT Compher saw the juicy rebound bounce in his direction, you can be sure he thought it would be an easy entry, the kind of goal that would give an early spark and a way to silence the crowd.
Instead, it was an impressive stop and a sign that Vasilevsky was closed and ready to recover after allowing seven stunning goals in the second game defeat.
“At the time, I forgot what the match was for when that game was played, but it’s almost one of those plays where you think, it just lands on its post and it’s almost a guaranteed goal,” the winger said. by Lightning Alex Killorn. Tuesday. “So in terms of momentum, it’s huge for us to get back in the game. I think that’s one of the things with Vasy, he’s able to make those stops that almost seem like goals.”
Although the Avalanche would still open the scoring in Game 3, it was the only time they held the lead in the game – a 6-2 victory for the locals – and there is no doubt that Vasilevsky returned to a superhuman level. of the main reasons why the Lightning were able to get up from the mat and cut the series deficit to 2-1 ahead of Wednesday’s game (20:17 ET, Sportsnet).
Vasilevsky’s ability to recover is a matter of legend, a reputation built with hard work and pure determination.
He is the best money goalkeeper on the planet and was not about to let his team fall behind by 0-3.
“You can learn a lot from him and his mental toughness. He’s always there,” Lightning defender Mikhail Sergachev said. “It’s not like he’s taking a night off. He’s always there, he’s always making those crazy stops and sometimes we play him wrong, but we’re trying to be like him.
“It simply came to our notice then. We are trying to make her happy. But really, he’s the toughest man I’ve ever met. “
This mental strength is part of the reason why Lightning head coach Jon Cooper decided to leave Vasilevsky in Saturday night’s game for the third period, despite his team losing 5-0 after 40 minutes.
While Cooper has said several times in this series that he just doesn’t like throwing Vasilevsky under almost any circumstances, it seemed like an opportunity to put Brian Elliott’s support in the third period.
Not as a punishment, but as a way for Vasilevsky to start with an advantage in the recovery process, knowing full well that he had to be at his best in the game.
As a result, Cooper knew what his goalkeeper needed more than the armchair coaches, including your real one, who was in the Vasilevsky camp.
Cooper has been around Vasilevsky long enough to know that he would not be discouraged by Cale Makar’s two extra goals that beat him during the third period, although his body language and drooping shoulders might suggest otherwise.
The truth is that Vasilevskiy still prevented the Avalanche from reaching double digits with a few outstanding stops, including stopping the glove to steal Valeri Nichushkin from securing a hat trick.
Sitting at seven points between games is not an easy hurdle to overcome, but this is something Vasilevskiy has improved on over his eight-year NHL career.
“His mental growth has been phenomenal for the last six to seven years. I think this kind of loss (in Game 2) in 2014 or ’15, the losses are painful, but that would have been longer for him,” he said. Cooper. “It simply came to our notice then.
“The goalkeeper is the last line of defense. Every time a goal comes in, everyone looks at him. And being able to have that ability to turn the page, (is) different because you have two days to turn the page. But when a goal comes in, you have to turn the page in 10 seconds, when the disk crashes. I think it was his gift that made him great, the ability to turn the page. “
The Lightning, along with Vasilevsky, did an excellent job of turning the page after the uneven defeat and we are now on the verge of finding out whether the two defending strokes can equal the series or whether they will face elimination. Friday night as the series returns to Denver.
Vasilevsky will have to play at an elite level as the series resumes, as the Avalanche has responded to previous losses with outstanding efforts in Games 3 and 6 of its second-round series with the St. Petersburgs. Louis Blues.
“Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like Avalanche defender Devon Toews aint for me either. “We feel like we have given him enough chances that we will have our chances to score and we feel that we are entering good areas to score right now.
“He is a great goalkeeper. He is very athletic. And that’s why he’s one of the best in the world right now. And every night it is a challenge to try to overcome it. We just have to achieve our goals. “
Lightning striker Nick Paul had extensive experience playing against Vasilevskiy before being acquired by the Ottawa Senators on the NHL exchange deadline, but has been impressed to see how the goalkeeper works on a daily basis.
“He’s always scored. I think that’s what makes him a good goalkeeper,” said Paul, who delivered the game’s winner in Game 3 despite struggling with a lower body problem. “There are no days off for him. He’s always focused. He takes everything seriously. Then when it’s time for the game, you see it.
“Whenever you have to make big savings, you do it. It’s just amazing. He’s the best goalkeeper there is. You can tell by his routines and how he cares every day that there’s a reason he’s the best.”
Vasilevsky’s ability to steal games is something the Lightning have relied on many times, especially in recent seasons during their races to the Stanley Cup final.
They know how valuable it is to their success and they never take it for granted.
“He certainly gives us confidence behind him. He’s a special player who doesn’t happen very often,” said Lightning defender Zach Bogosian. “This organization has been here for a long time. It’s awesome to see.”
Go deeper into the Cup final
The avalanche was dominant. Then the Lightning refused to surrender. Before Game 3, here’s what you need to know.
• Controlled lightning: After a 7-0 defeat where they could not break an open game with the attack, the Lightning controlled the only thing they could control.
• Ice poker: It’s easy to look at Kucherov’s behavior and draw conclusions about his level of attention. But doing so indicates a failure to recognize the place of most of his heavy work: his brain.
• MacKinnon in the brand. This is a problem: After a night in which the stars of the Lightning shone, it is impossible to ignore the fact that MacKinnon has not scored a goal so far in the final.
• Lightning finds life: He gives up nine unanswered goals in the championship and the mood can quickly become bleak. There was blood in the water. But the panic was not in the air.