The Montreal Canadiens is perhaps in hassle.
Not essentially as a result of they missed an opportunity to clinch their first-round collection towards the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night time in a 1-0 extra time loss, sending the collection to a decisive seventh sport on Sunday night time.
However as a result of they may have allowed Lightning goalie Andre Vasilevskiy to get scorching.
In what was the most effective goalie duels of the playoffs to this point, Vasilevskiy was capable of outlast Montreal’s Jakub Dobes by making 30 saves, together with a number of highlight-reel stops to assist steal the sport. That efficiency stored the Lightning in it lengthy sufficient for Gage Goncalves to attain the profitable purpose on a rebound from proper in entrance of the web.
It was a classic efficiency from the most effective goalies of this period. It is perhaps a turning level within the collection.
Andrei Vasilevskiy might have discovered his sport simply in time
There are few goalies within the fashionable period who’ve a resume that compares with the one Vasilevskiy has put collectively in Tampa Bay. He has performed in 4 Stanley Cup Finals, received two of them, owns a Vezina Trophy and has been a finalist six totally different occasions, together with this season.
When he’s on his sport, he’s pretty much as good because it will get.
He’s additionally a cheat code for a Tampa Bay workforce that already has an impressive roster. Placing a goalie like him behind that may flip an already good Lightning workforce into an virtually unbeatable drive.
After a sluggish begin to this collection that noticed Vasilevskiy enter Recreation 6 on Friday with solely an .880 save share, he is perhaps discovering his rhythm.
His largest second may need come late within the second interval when he made back-to-back beautiful saves to rob Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov.
