Lightning expect Vasilevskiy's best against Rangers in Game 2
Goalie is 17-0 following loss since start of 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Following a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday, the goalie appeared to be all business while he worked with goalie coach Frantz Jean and some of the Lightning's extra players and then exited to the locker room before the rest of the team practiced.
Needing a win to even the best-of-7 series, Tampa Bay expects Vasilevskiy to be at his best in Game 2 here Friday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, CBC, SN, TVAS).
"Intensity, work ethic, he's top of the list in that regard," coach Jon Cooper said. "But as I've said before, our team, they take losses personal. But I would say the goalie really takes it personal and hence probably why he's so good in bouncing back after] games where we were on the short end."
The Lightning are 17-0 in games following a loss since the start of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including 14-0 during their runs to winning the Stanley Cup the past two seasons. The winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the playoffs last season, Vasilevskiy has been a critical factor in their rebound ability, compiling a 1.47 goals-against average, .942 save percentage and five shutouts during those 17 wins after losses.
***[RELATED: [Complete Rangers vs. Lightning series coverage]*
So though the six goals Vasilevskiy allowed on 34 shots in Game 1 matched his career high for an NHL playoff game, Tampa Bay has no doubt it can count on him in Game 2. That's partly because it didn't think he was to blame in Game 1.
"Obviously, 'Vasy's' a world-class player, a world-class goaltender, and we're in the position [to win the Cup] the last few years from his play," defenseman Zach Bogosian said. "So you can't peg it on anyone, really. Just as a team we have to be better. We know that he's going to come up huge for us."
After playing tight defense in front of Vasilevskiy and allowing three goals in a four-game sweep of the Florida Panthers in the second round, the Lightning lost their structure against the Rangers and fed their rush game with turnovers. New York scored twice on 2-on-1 rushes, including Chris Kreider's goal that opened the scoring 1:11 into the first period, and Artemi Panarin's goal 30 seconds into the third period that made it 5-2.
"The big thing for me is it's our team game," Cooper said. "I don't care [if] 'Vasy' was in or [Rangers goalie Igor] Shesterkin was in or [retired Rangers goalie] Henrik Lundqvist was in. Those pucks were going in the net. Those were some wide-open looks to some really good players and to me, our team game has got to eliminate those type of chances."
The Lightning reviewed video of their breakdowns Thursday before their spirited practice, some of which focused on making cleaner exits from the defensive zone. They didn't want to use rust as an excuse following an eight-day break between their first round series-clinching 2-0 win in Game 4 against the Panthers on May 23 and Game 1 against the Rangers, but it was clear they weren't as sharp with their decisions and defensive coverage.
"We watched the game [to] kind of see things that we can be better at and what works and then go from there and just kind of build our game on that," forward Nick Paul said. "Last night is obviously not what we wanted, but we put that behind us. It's a new step. Did a little video today, practiced, got the legs moving, touched pucks, touched upon things we needed to do and then tomorrow we just come mentally ready."
Although Paul is new to the Lightning after being acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on March 20, he's already witnessed the calm demeanor of his experienced teammates in the face of adversity during these playoffs. It helped Tampa Bay rebound from a similarly lopsided 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the first round with a 5-3 victory in Game 2 and rally from down 3-2 in the series with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 6 and a 2-1 victory in Game 7.
"I think our room is pretty steady, pretty spot on to where we need to be," Paul said. "We know it's a long series. We dealt with it with the Leafs. Obviously, you want to win Game 1, but we didn't. Now where do we go from here? So we're picking each other up. We're confident. We believe in each other. We know what we have in this room and what we can do."
