With the Tampa Bay Lightning getting a few days off, it’s the perfect time to do a player check-in. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has played 21 games since his return from back surgery – officially catching up to fill-in and backup goalie Jonas Johansson.
His return was highly anticipated in the early part of the season, especially with the Lightning fighting to stay afloat in the standings.
The Lightning are 12-9-1 in games he has played so far, but how has he looked on an individual level? A solid sample size has been amassed so that he can finally get a serious look under the hockey microscope.
Not Quite Back to Form But Having His Moments
Vasilevskiy has had his moments of looking human since his return. At this point in this season, he has a .898 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.86 goals-against average (GAA). It’s certainly a drop-off from his career numbers – .918 SV% and 2.54 GAA.
These numbers would be more concerning if wasn’t less than two months since he got back in the crease. Before Nov. 24, Vasilevskiy had not played in a live game since April 29. That being said, he still isn’t playing like his usual self. His goals against average can be excused a bit because of the defensive performance in front of him this season. After all, there was the game against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 14, for example, where he gave up four goals but still had a .930 SV%. However, his SV% for the season is a bit more glaring of an issue.
Vasilevskiy has had four games where he has given up four or more goals seeing fewer than 30 shots against. Three of those games saw a SV% below .770. Yes, SV% can be impacted by the team’s defense to an extent – goalies do benefit from who they play with – but these are games where it’s on the goalie more than who is in front of him. Mixed in there are some shots he should have saved. So, while there’s an understandable reason behind some of the out-of-character moments, they happened nonetheless.
On the flip side, he’s still had his moments where he’s looked like the Vasilivskiy everyone has come to know. First was the payback shutout against the Dallas Stars on Dec. 4 and the game mentioned above against Edmonton.
The Lightning have also won all four overtime/shootout games that Vasilevskiy has played in this season. In the game against the Capitals on Dec. 23, the Lightning scored one goal heading into the shootout. If he has an off night or even just a half-decent night, they don’t win. It hasn’t been every night, but the clutch Vasilevskiy has not been completely absent.
Vasilevskiy Follows a Notable Team Trend
One other notable trend Vasilevskiy has had is his home vs road splits. The Lightning have done better at home, and he is no exception. In 10 home games, he has a .913 SV% and a 2.30 GAA. Those stats are closer to what we have come to expect.
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However, the Lighting have had their troubles on the road, and Vasilevskiy is again no exception. In 11 road games, he has a .885 SV% and a 3.38 GAA. This is despite some strong performances on the road.
Now to be somewhat fair to Vasilevskiy, two brutal nights weigh down his numbers on the road. There’s the loss to the Stars on Dec. 2, where he gave up six goals, and then there’s the loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 6, where he also gave up six goals. Remove those two and he has a .908 SV% in the other nine road games. It paints a better picture, but again, it’s still not up to his usual standard of play.
Be Concerned, But Don’t Panic
These numbers do raise the right to be concerned. In theory, Vasilevskiy should be getting better as he gets further away from the procedure. Still, there is no cause for panic. Progress isn’t linear. Just because he is fit enough to play, doesn’t mean he’s going to be at 100% in less than 60 days.
Well, maybe he shouldn’t play then until he can be, one could argue. Well, there lies the double-edged sword. He needs to get back out there and get into a groove. Over time, Vasilevskiy is going to get back to his old self. There are still 38 games left in the season. He has plenty of time to continue to improve. If the Lightning can hang on and nab a playoff spot, perhaps they’ll get their star goalie in the playoff form we’ve seen in previous years, and it has bode well for them.
Just need to wait it out. It will be worth it.