Vasilevskiy pulled for 13th time in career: 'We left him out to dry'
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Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled for just the 13th time in his 11-year career in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 30-year-old netminder allowed four goals on 14 shots in just under 30 minutes before head coach Jon Cooper turned to backup Jonas Johansson for his first action of the season. Johansson stopped 14 of 15 shots in relief.
“Listen, it looked like one of those nights,” Cooper said post-game. “I probably could count on one hand how many times I’ve pulled him in our career together. But [Johansson] hadn’t played all year, and it was time to get him in and give our guy a rest.”
The 2019 Vezina Trophy winner is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, claiming the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2021. He is 3-2-0 to start this season with an .878 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average.
Vasilevskiy went 30-20-2 last season with a .900 save percentage - the lowest mark of his career - and 2.90 GAA. He went 1-4 with a .897 save percentage and a 3.22 GAA in the playoffs as the Lightning suffered a first-round exit.
“We left him out to dry,” Lightning captain Victor Hedman said of Monday's loss. “He’s the best goalie in the world, but he can’t stop everything. So we got to do better.”
The native of Tyumen, Russia is signed through the 2027-28 season at a cap hit of $9.5 million. Johansson signed with the team in 2023 on two-year, $1.55 million deal and went 12-7-5 last season with a .890 save percentage and a 3.37 GAA.
Cooper declined to reveal Monday whether the Lightning will turn back to Vasilevskiy against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday or give Johansson his first start of the campaign.