The Hurricanes hope to avoid a mental roadblock against the Lightning’s ‘Big Cat’
The Carolina Hurricanes can’t allow the “Big Cat” to become a big mental roadblock in their playoff series with Tampa Bay.
Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy might be the best there is, anywhere. He rarely appears nervous, much less rattled. No. 88 just keeps making saves and stay cool, even in the midst of mayhem around the crease.
Vasilevskiy did that Sunday in Game 1 of the second-round series with the Canes, making 37 saves in a 2-1 victory at rollicking PNC Arena.
“He was in the zone,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said after the game. “We really needed him that first period. They were all pumped up, Game 1, really excited crowd. They fed off that and probably put us a little bit on our heels at the beginning. That’s when we really needed him.
“And then we really needed him on the penalty kills. We can’t be in situations where we’re giving them nine, almost 10 minutes of power-play time in a 60-minute game. But when we needed him in those two areas, he was there for us.”
The Canes did break through on a power play early in the third on defenseman Jake Bean’s shot from the point. With forward Jesper Fast lurking around the net, Bean tied the score 1-1 and the arena became very loud. But that was the only thing that got through Vasilevskiy in Game 1.
Two years ago, the Canes reached the Eastern Conference finals but could not solve Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. He was too good, too sharp, too unflappable, and it became a mental thing for the Canes. That could happen again with Vasilevskiy, the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner.
While the Canes had 38 shots Sunday in Game 1 and 23 scoring chances, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, they finished with nine “high-danger” chances and three total in the second and third periods. They’ll need to do better to make things more uncomfortable for Vasilevskiy, called the “Big Cat” by some and simply “Vasi” by others.
“He never gives up on a puck,” Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh said after the game. “He stays to his strengths out there, never seems to be sliding and flopping around in the crease. We know he’s a big backbone back there.”
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour on Monday likened it to his playing days and trying to find ways to beat goalie Dominik Hasek, known as the “Dominator.” Hasek, now in the Hockey Hall of Fame, spent 16 years in the NHL vexing teams and frustrating players as he did bounce and flop around the crease.
“I remember him basically just dominating,” Brind’Amour said. “But it never got in your head. You just keep trying. If you’re getting opportunities ... it’s when you don’t get opportunities is when it gets in your head. If you’re getting your chances you feel like ‘OK, eventually we’ll get something.’
“We know he’s good. That’s one of their aces. We’ve got to keep trying. Keep pounding the rock and eventually you’ll break it down. That’s the mindset we have to have.”
The Canes must keep in mind that the Florida Panthers did score six goals on Vasilevskiy in Game 3 of their first-round series. Vasilevskiy answered with a 4-0 shutout in the Game 6 series clincher, but there are ways of beating him.
Carolina had 15 first-period shots Sunday and Martin Necas found the post on a short-side look. Center Vincent Trocheck was a 60-minute pest with a game-high seven shots. In the final minute of regulation, with a sixth attacker, the Canes had three shots on goal and another two blocked by defenseman Victor Hedman.
“We were right there,” Fast said Monday.
The Canes likely will not have injured forward Nino Niederreiter in this series and will miss the 20-goal scorer. But as Fast put it Monday, it’s “step-up” time for someone else and the team approach remains the same: get pucks deep, keep getting chances.
“There were times last night when pucks were bouncing around in front and some guys had some chances at it,” Canes defenseman Brady Skjei said Monday. “So if we keep doing that I think we’ll be just fine.”
Carolina Hurricanes vs Tampa Bay Lightning
What: Game 2, Stanley Cup playoff series
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh
TV: NBCSN.
This story was originally published June 1, 2021 at 6:30 AM.
