Tampa plays without Nikita Kucherov and Braden Point, but the lack of offensive pointers in no way affects the effectiveness of Stanley Cup holders. First of all, thanks to a confident game Andrei Vasilevsky, who has acquired maximum fighting form and is ready to return to goalie Olympus after a few slips early in the regular season.
In the previous game against Philadelphia, the Big Cat, as he was nicknamed in Tampa, saved all 34 shots on his goal and came down to zero for the first time this season. In the game that followed against Seattle, everything was even better: only 17 shots and the second cracker in a row.
Plus, the 3-0 win over NHL rookies became Andrei’s 200th in the regular championship.
“It’s a great success. I am proud of this number. It is clear that I would not have accomplished anything without my partners, because we do a good teamwork. Alone, no one can win “, – said Vasilevsky.
It took 318 starts to reach the 200-win mark, the second lowest in NHL history. In first place is the famous Ken Dryden, who has won 200 times in 309 games.
As for Andrey, he’s been a finalist for the Best Goalkeeper of the Season vote for four consecutive years and won his Vézina Trophy in 2019. Add to that two Stanley Cups, and we have a goaltender who truly has no equal. in the league right now.
“Now he really is the best goalie in the league. To do it at such a young age is impressive. He’s only 6 in the NHL, but every year he’s in the top three “, – said the Russian head coach of “Lightning” John cooper.
Many Russian goalkeepers have achieved 200 victories. Ilya Bryzgalov has 221 wins, Semyon Varlamov has 251, then Bobrovsky (306), Khabibulin (333) and Evgeny Nabokov (353). There is no doubt that Vasilevsky will beat them all, and in the years to come he will become the absolute Russian record holder.
It is no coincidence that Vasilevsky is even praised Doug armstrong, general manager of the Canadian national team at the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.
“Looking at Tampa, they’ve won the last two Stanley Cups and their goaltender is currently number one in the world. Right now, in my opinion, the situation for Canadian national team goalkeepers is not as obvious as, for example, for Russia. There are some countries that have an obvious solution to the gatekeeper problem, but we are not one of them. “Armstrong said with obvious regret.
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