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Vasilevskiy becomes Superman again, and Lightning are flying |
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When I watched the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second half of the season, I didn’t see Andrei Vasilevskiy take on his superhero persona often enough. Too much Clark Kent, not enough Superman.
Certainly, he looked like an elite NHL goalie. But he wasn’t the same bulletproof, nearly invincible masked crusader we’ve seen in the past.
But that has changed.
The overwhelming theme of the Lightning’s sweep over the Florida Panthers in the second round is that Vasilevskiy is more powerful than ever.
There are multiple reasons why the Lightning ousted the NHL’s President’s Trophy winner, but Vasilevskiy is chief among them.
In the sweep, Vasilevskiy stopped 151 of 154 shots. He surrendered one goal in each of the first three games and then made 49 saves to blank the Panthers in Game 4.
It’s been fun today discussing where Vasilevskiy fits among the NHL’s greatest goalies. My take is it’s too early to know. He’s only 27. We could see him dominate for another decade.
Imagine if his best hockey is still in front of him.
Since Game 7 in the opening round against Toronto, Vasilevskiy hasn’t surrendered more than one goal or had a save percentage under .968 in any game.
He is in his opponent's heads and no one has found any kryptonite.
And if his superpowers aren’t enough, the Lightning are a team buoyed by the confidence that comes from winning 10 consecutive playoff series.
The Lightning are trying to become the first team in four decades to win three consecutive Stanley Cup championships. No team has won three since the New York Islanders won their third in 1982, followed by their fourth in 1983.
It’s impossible to know what lies ahead for the Lightning. They had a bumpy ride in the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In some periods, the Lightning looked like a two-time champion and in other periods they needed all of their survival skills.
What makes the NHL playoffs fascinating is every round takes on a personality of its own. No two series are alike. Every opponent provides a unique and different challenge.
Whether the Lightning face the New York Rangers or Carolina Hurricanes in the next round, they will anticipate a tug of war. They won’t expect to sweep them like they did the Panthers. They will anticipate a Game 7 like they played in the first round. The value of their previous playoff success is the knowledge of how it’s done. They are keenly aware that what happened in the regular-season has no bearing on what happens in the postseason.
What links the Lightning with those great Islanders teams is simply an understanding of how they need to play to win in the postseason. They aren’t trying to figure it out along the way. They are trying to replicate their successful past strategy. Much of that involves is simply having a commitment that matches their talent.
The Lightning don’t boast the depth that they had over the past two seasons, but they showed in the triumph over the Panthers that they have the necessary commitment to do it a third time.
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Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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