Yahoo Sports Lightning Superstar Goalie Off To Excellent Start
The Tampa Bay Lightning have gotten off to a fast start in the early goings of the 2024-25 season, going undefeated in their first three games. With the various changes to the roster in the offseason and some of the question marks surrounding the team, it was important for the Tampa Bay stars to shine brighter.
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One of the stars the Tampa Bay Lightning expected to have solid performances from was veteran goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Many wondered going into the early contests of the season which version of Vasilevskiy would show up. Would he struggle like last season, or would we see the disciplined Vezina Trophy-level tender?
So far, in the first three games of the young season, Lightning fans have seen a version of Andrei Vasilevskiy who closely resembles the goaltender that led the Lightning to two straight Stanley Cup championships. Vasilevskiy has posted a 1.67 goal-against average and a .932 save percentage through his first three games.
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The Russian goaltender has not had to labor much in the season's early goings as he has not yet faced 30 shots in a game. His first real test of the season came on Thursday night (Oct. 17), when the Lightning squared off against the Vegas Golden Knights. Vasilevskiy faced adversity early on, as Vegas got on the board first with a goal from Brayden McNabb. Bolts defenseman J.J. Moser would later tie things up with a goal of his own after a Vasilevskiy stop. The game would become a back-and-forth affair that ultimately saw the Lightning picking up their third straight win to open the season.
Performances such as Vasilevskiy's 22-save effort against Vegas are what the Lightning need most this season. For the Lightning to continue refining their game and settling in, they will rely more and more on their premiere goaltender as they get deeper into the 2024-25 NHL season.
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