HENDERSON, Nev. — Andrei Vasilevskiy experienced the joy of a short offseason after winning the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
So, you’d expect this offseason was a bit of a letdown for the goalie after the Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight season but lost to the Colorado Avalanche in six games.
“To be honest, it was the same,” Vasilevskiy said. “Same short offseason. The only difference was I didn’t get to have the Cup in my city. So, that’s the only difference.”
Of course, there was more to it than that, but Vasilevskiy said he didn’t spend his summer lamenting how the Lightning fell two wins short in their bid to three-peat as Stanley Cup champions.
“It wasn’t like I was killing myself for that Final,” said Vasilevskiy, who was 14-9 with a 2.52 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and one shutout in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “I mean, obviously, it hurts, but after a few days [I moved on]. For some people, it takes longer, probably. But we played lots of hockey, and we were fortunate enough to have won the previous two Finals.
“Yeah, we didn’t win the last one, but there’s still lots of room for improvement and it will help keep the motivation, for sure.”
Video: Top 20 Vasilevskiy Saves from the 2021-22 Season
When NHL.com caught up with Vasilevskiy at the NHL North American Player Media Tour on Sept. 16, he made it clear that the Lightning’s motivation to win the Stanley Cup again remains strong. The 28-year-old, who tied Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers for the NHL lead in wins last season (39-18-5), was ninth in GAA (2.49) and 12th in save percentage (.916) with two shutouts, discussed Tampa Bay’s drive for more championships, how he controls his emotions, and more:
The Lightning overcame so much to get back to the Stanley Cup Final, including injuries, a 3-2 deficit against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round and a 2-0 deficit against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final. Although the players were proud, did you also feel there was no sense of satisfaction?
“Yeah, yeah. Obviously, you don’t want to just go to the Final and say, ‘OK. That was our goal.’ Obviously, you want to win the Cup as many times as possible because it’s very hard. To win the Cup is hard, but to win a few times in a row, it’s like impossible because every year the team is different. You have a few new guys, maybe a new coach or something else. That’s why only a few teams were able to do it. But we have a new team this year, a few new names on the team and we’ll do our best to get back to the Final and set the bar again.”
So that drive to win the Cup again remains?
“For sure. When you win a few Cups in a row, deep inside you kind of comfort yourself. Basically, you’ve done everything you wanted in this league, but last season’s Final, it was some kind of a cold shower for us. team. Now there’s a new team that sets the bar and we have to raise that bar and set it again. So, as I said, motivation will be high this season.”
Cameras caught you coming off the ice after losing Game 6 to Colorado and you yelled something and appeared angry. Was that a heat-of-the-moment reaction?
“No, no. Because during the season, during the playoffs, I never show my emotions, but that Game 6, we lost, so it was like, ‘Let it be. Let it happen.’ During the playoffs, even during the season, you don’t want to show your emotions to the other team so they can see you [and think], ‘OK, he’s shaken.’ But it was the last game of the season, so I was like, ‘Whatever. It’s not going to make any difference.'”
How would you assess your play in the playoffs and the Cup Final in particular?
“Good enough to win, in my opinion. Our overtimes, it was tough. I think the previous playoffs, we went 0-4 (in overtime) and, overall, I think we scored only one goal in the last eight overtime games ( beginning with Game 5 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final against the Dallas Stars), which is not great. So [the Avalanche] won two games in overtime. It could’ve been us, but, unfortunately, we didn’t get the job done and here you go. We have to be better at that too.”
Video: Top 5 Saves from the Stanley Cup Final
You lost some key players with Ondrej Palat signing with the New Jersey Devils, Ryan McDonagh being traded to the Nashville Predators and Jan Rutta signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins. How do you overcome that?
“We lost a few great players, a few great guys, but that’s what happens when you make it to three Stanley Cup Finals in a row. Guys, they want better deals and that’s the right thing, in my opinion. You deserve it. You played well. You’re getting your paycheck. Unfortunately, because of cap space issues, we have to adjust. That’s just part of our hockey life. We just have to adjust. Again, basically we have a new team. It’s a new challenge for us and it will be more interesting.”
With McDonagh and Rutta leaving, Mikhail Sergachev will be counted on to play a bigger role on the defense. Do you think this will give him an opportunity to blossom more?
“For sure. Now, with the new deal (an eight-year, $68 million extension he signed July 13), he’s the man now. But he’s been one of the best D on our team for a few years now and now he’s got one of the leadership roles on our team. He’s always working hard and I’m pretty sure he’ll prove that he deserves that deal.”
Did you work on anything specific this summer?
“There’s always room for improvement. I’m working on everything. It’s all about small details. You have to improve yourself every year because the day you stop improving your game, you can just retire.”
Do you watch other goalies?
“No. I used to when I was more in my rookie years.”
Which goalies did you watch?
“Carey Price when he was at his best (with the Montreal Canadiens). (Braden) Holtby when he was at his best (with the Washington Capitals). These guys were such great examples for me. Now, I have my training program. I have my routine. I just want to stick with it, so I don’t really follow the other goalies.”
Do you set any individual goals for yourself before a season or is it more about the team?
“Obviously, team because I won the Vezina in 2019 when we lost to Columbus in the first round, and believe me, a Vezina didn’t really (pauses).
Didn’t make you feel better?
“Exactly. Exactly. But the next year I didn’t win any personal awards, but we won the Cup and it changed everything inside. Obviously, personal trophies, it’s a great thing. Don’t get me wrong. I’m really proud of it that i won [the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL], but it’s all about the Cups. It’s all about the team. It’s all about the Cups. It’s the greatest feeling when the team wins and not just you.”
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