Without Andrei Vasilevskiy's stellar play between the pipes, the Tampa Bay Lightning's season would probably be over today.
Vasilevskiy single-handedly stole Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Final after the Lightning buried themselves in an 0-2 hole, stopping a combined 72 of 76 shots in back-to-back 4-2 wins to even the series.
The Lightning did not deserve to win either of those contests, as they were dominated in nearly every facet of the game:
Game 3
| Lightning | Stat | Capitals |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Shots | 38 |
| 47 | Shot attempts | 69 |
| 21 | Scoring chances | 26 |
| 9 | High-danger chances | 11 |
Game 4
| Lightning | Stat | Capitals |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Shots | 38 |
| 45 | Shot attempts | 65 |
| 19 | Scoring chances | 33 |
| 12 | High-danger chances | 14 |
But Vasilevskiy made one highlight-reel save after another, constantly bailing out a team that's yet to show up for a full 60 minutes in this series.
Related: Solo effort: Breaking down Vasilevskiy's clutch glove save on Connolly
While the Capitals have dictated the play at five-on-five in this series, their biggest offensive weapon so far in this playoff run has been a dynamic power play. Heading into Game 3, the Caps were 16-for-49 (32.7 percent) with the man advantage, but there's been a power outage across the last two games, with the unit going 0-for-7.
Tampa Bay's penalty killers certainly deserve credit, but against such a lethal unit, the goalie has to be the best penalty killer - and Vasilevskiy has been just that.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Across the past two games, the Caps generated 16 shots, 11 scoring chances, and seven high-danger scoring chances with the man advantage, but Vasilevskiy turned aside everything.
On the flip side, the Lightning's power play has been their main source of offense, going 3-for-7 across the last two games, and 6-for-14 overall in the series. Braden Holtby has struggled in the opposite crease, while Vasilevskiy has shined, and that was the difference in Games 3 and 4.
On the surface, Vasilevskiy's sensational play shouldn't come as a surprise, considering his regular season was worthy of a Vezina Trophy nomination. But for those who followed the season closely, he was a bit of a question mark heading into the playoffs after recording a save percentage of just .900 in his last 31 regular-season games, compared to a .939 mark across his first 34. Fatigue was clearly an issue for 23-year-old in his first full season as a starter, but he's since erased any doubts.
Even if Vasilevskiy had stolen one game on the road, the Bolts would still be looking at a 3-1 series deficit - a steep mountain to climb against a Capitals team that's playing exceptionally well.
But by stealing both contests, not only did Vasilevskiy put his team in the driver's seat heading back to Tampa Bay to begin a best-of-three, but he literally saved its season in the process.
(Stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)
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