The Tampa Bay Lightning’s stellar regular season campaign culminated in a playoff berth for the ninth consecutive time. However, the team failed to keep up with the Montreal Canadiens in Round 1, losing the series 4-3. The Bolts have been unable to advance past the first round over the last four years, leaving their quest for a deep postseason run unfinished.
In his exit interview, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy reflected on Tampa Bay’s short-lived postseason and set the record straight on his expectations for the Lightning’s star players.
Andrei Vasilevskiy Chalks Out Plan of Action for Tampa Bay Lightning
The Canadiens’ young core wreaked havoc on the Bolts, containing them in the first round itself and rendering their extensive playoff experience useless. For the Lightning, the series was a chaotic series decided by razor-thin margins.
This season could have looked different, given how utterly dominant the Bolts were over the regular season, but the team met a similar fate, prompting Vasilevskiy to speak out.
The 31-year-old goalie, among the top-tier goaltenders in the NHL, wants the entire team to show up and do their respective jobs, from killing penalties to making saves. “We have to man up out here. Our big players have to be our best players. We all have to do our jobs. I have to make saves. Defense has to block shots, kill penalties, offense, shoot and score goals,” the netminder said in his exit interview, per Diandra Loux.
Vasilevskiy further explained that unequal effort within the team led to an early elimination.
In the Bolts’ defense, that Game 7 loss against the Habs ought to sting because Tampa really showed up: the team outshot the Canadiens 29-9, but ultimately fell short, mostly because Montreal’s 24-year-old rookie goalie Jakub Dobes was exemplary with 28 saves and a .966 SV%.
Vasilevskiy, on the other hand, could not salvage the Lightning’s chances, making seven saves.
The Lightning were also adversely impacted by Nikita Kucherov’s underwhelming performance in the final three games. The veteran forward had one goal and five assists in the series, but failed to contribute when it mattered the most: the final game.
In the aftermath of the loss, Brayden Point gave his team credit for a phenomenal year all along, while acknowledging that the Canadiens’ young core, despite being inexperienced playoff contenders, was quite a challenge for the Bolts.
“I really like the way our team played this year. We were a close group and we thought we could go for a deep run this year. Obviously, Montreal is a good team and that was a heck of a series. Tonight’s tough. Just couldn’t get it done,” Point admitted.
Focus now shifts to what exactly the coaching team can change when the summer rolls around. Jon Cooper will keep his job, but a fifth straight first-round exit could be the final straw.
The guy says the team needs to step up and makes 7 stops out of 9 shots. Sounds like the team isn’t the problem. Your subpar play is. The guy has been a statue in the playoffs ever since the Avalanche SCF series; letting in soft outside goals year after year has killed the team’s morale in the playoffs. Tampa needs to get serious with their goaltender pipeline and stop being held hostage by Vasilevskiy as the only viable net option. Bench him or trade him. They need to cast a wide net for goalie tryouts and run a “prove it” system until they find an aggressive, hungry rookie goaltender.