He was quite serious about making the NHL, was the kind of guy who put every minute he had into honing his craft.”.Each day Vasilevskiy has a routine.
He rides the exercise bicycle.“He’s like a veteran that’s been in the league a long time,” says Jean. At the 2013 World Championships he was Russia’s No. “That says a lot.”.With seven minutes and 41 seconds left, Vasilevskiy went back into Game 2 entrusted with a one-goal lead, the possibility of going to Chicago down 2-0 in the series still looming. “It’s my dream to play in the Stanley Cup Final. 24.

It takes a lot of discipline to do that every day and do it well every day. “He was a pro before he got to Syracuse. Dallas players, coaches and staff have been here since July 27, and Tampa Bay joined them Sept. 5 after spending six weeks in Toronto and flying cross-country.Dallas has been waiting since finishing off the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Western Conference final Monday. “There’ll be no surprises.”,This year is full of surprises.

“Maybe just a little bit, but after the first couple of shots I felt better. The team kind of has a swagger when Ben is in the net. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Sharing netminding duties with Andrei Makarov on the U20 squad, he went 4-1 with two shutouts, a 2.01 goals-against average and .953 save percentage while helping Russia win the silver medal.“The world juniors is usually a 19-year-old tournament,” says NBC analyst Pierre McGuire, who was rinkside for Game 2 and Game 4 of the Cup Final and has followed Vasilevskiy internationally for years. “The team continued to have the confidence [they have] when Ben was in net. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy,PAGE: New teams rising to fill NHL's growing power vacuum,Victor Hedman quietly grows into cornerstone of Lightning's defense,MUIR: Tampa Bay Lightning's future is bright despite loss in Stanley Cup Final.Will the Bruins be bitten again by their lack of a reliable backup goalie?NHL name game: Four generations of monikers from P.K. When he’s told he’ll be starting.Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has made a career out of staying ready to shine in big games.© 2020 ABG-SI LLC. Vasilevskiy’s size (6'3", 203 pounds), athleticism, agility and quickness earned him Central Scouting’s ranking as the No. “I don’t think he’s going to have many more tougher situations than coming into a game [like in Game 2]. Though he was outstanding, the pain in his groin wouldn’t go away. Just a normal game to him.”,It was a tightly played contest, with the Blackhawks putting only two shots on net in the first period. He was the first goalie selected. It was nice to see them continue to have that when Vasy went in under those tough circumstances.”.While the Lightning didn’t win that game or the series, McGuire believes that Vasilevskiy’s performance foreshadowed a long, stellar career.“His work habits are impeccable, his focus is all-world, and he’s basically unflappable,” McGuire says. There was no panic among the Lightning despite the young goaltender possessing just 45 minutes of playoff experience that included him allowing three goals in a 6–2 loss to Montreal while relieving Bishop during the second round.“Everyone was like, ‘Vasy will do great,’” says Angelidis, who watched the game from the press box as part of the traveling “Black Aces” squad, Tampa Bay’s group of minor leaguers who were skating with the top club and trying to be ready at a moment's notice in case of injury. He was also the first since Lester Patrick of the Rangers in 1928 to get it in relief during the championship series.​“That’s the role of the backup,” Alexander said. “That was Andrei. “Nervous?” Vasilevskiy replied when asked by reporters who he’d felt. What the Lightning backup goaltender did have was a canvas that only 62 NHL players share: a goalie mask. It was a slow grin that revealed a glow of confident readiness. But to have a 17-year-old go and be comfortable, that’s a different deal.”.Vasilevskiy’s international success helped propel him to the KHL with Salavat Ufa in 2011. “If you were going to tell me, ‘Hey Coop, you get to play in the Stanley Cup final, you’re only going to get 45 hours to rest before the game, but you’re going to get to play in it,’ I’m taking that all day.”.The Stars coaching staff pre-scouted each potential opponent, with Rick Bowness and assistant John Stevens diving into the Lightning the past few days.“We’ll be well-prepared,” Bowness said. “We just want to make sure we put him in a situation where he can continue to develop and maximize his potential,” says Jean.It’s likely that nothing Vasilevskiy will face in his career will match the pressure, the intensity of what he went through for a few days back in June. 2 behind Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets on the gold medal-winning team, going 1-0 in two games with a 0.50 GAA and .985 save pct.“I made a save and I felt it,” he recently told SI.com by phone. You see it with guys who have been around for awhile.”.This is not a routine that Vasilevskiy adopted upon making the NHL. “We’re 75, 80 degrees here all the time, so it’s perfect — perfect environment.”.The Stars and Lightning would take any environment for a chance to win the Cup. “He doesn’t take his body for granted. Even though he spent most of his time as the team’s backup or the 1-A, he proved to be exceptionally clutch, posting a sterling 1.99 GAA in 18 playoff games with a .934 save pct.“His last year (in the KHL) he took over the starting role,” says,Scouts agreed. When he knocks it through Andrei’s legs, [Vasilevskiy] misses the puck by the inch. Three weeks later, the Lightning drafted him 19th in the first round. Come back in the game.​“They were taping it in the tunnel and then I was coming back on the ice literally as the puck was being dropped,” Bishop says. “After the morning skate, I couldn’t even stretch,” Bishop says.That left coach Jon Cooper with a dilemma.

Or take a risk with the kid, making him the fourth-youngest goaltender in history to start a Cup Final game, and the youngest since 20-year-old Patrick Roy did it with Montreal in 1986?“Cooper felt someway, somehow that the fact that we had three days in between Game 4 and 5 would give Ben enough time to recuperate and be ready for Game 5,” Jean says.