It's been a tumultuous start to the Stanley Cup Final for Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy. He's allowed 11 goals in two games so far and even conceded seven in a dreadful Game 2 on Saturday night.
Nevertheless, the Lightning is sticking with their star goalkeeper. He will start in Game 3 on Monday night at home, per Joe Smith of The Athletic:
Vasilevskiy is starting of course, just had morning off https://t.co/BPfFFTGjrP
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) June 20, 2022
Although the two-time Stanley Cup champion struggled mightily in Colorado, there is certainly reason for optimism here. Vasilevskiy is 7-1 with a .947 save percentage and 2.03 GAA on home ice in the playoffs.
The Lightning is in a dangerous hole right now, though. Yes, they managed to win four straight against the New York Rangers, but the Avs are a different beast. The West champs have been utterly dominant all postseason and easily possess the most complete roster in the entire NHL.
Vasilevskiy is undoubtedly the best keeper in the league in 2021-22 and a favorite to win his second Vezina Trophy. Regardless of that, the Lightning needs him to step up in a big way in Game 3, or else their season could very well be all over.
Puck drop is scheduled for 8 PM ET at Amalie Arena on Monday. It will be interesting to see if Andrei Vasilevskiy can respond.
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