In a surprising turn of events on Monday night, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled from the game for just the 13th time in his illustrious 11-year career, during a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 30-year-old netminder struggled, allowing four goals on only 14 shots in less than 30 minutes of play before head coach Jon Cooper made the decision to give backup Jonas Johansson his first action of the season. Johansson stepped up and stopped 14 of 15 shots in relief, proving himself capable in the high-pressure situation.
“It looked like one of those nights,” said Cooper in a post-game interview. “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.”
Vasilevskiy, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner, has had a shaky start to the season with a 3-2-0 record, an .878 save percentage, and a 3.14 goals-against average. Last season, he went 30-20-2 with a .900 save percentage, the lowest of his career, and a 2.90 GAA. In the playoffs, he struggled even further, going 1-4 with a .897 save percentage and a 3.22 GAA, as the Lightning suffered a first-round exit.
Reflecting on the loss, Lightning captain Victor Hedman emphasized the need for improvement, stating, “We left him out to dry. He’s the best goalie in the world, but he can’t stop everything. So we got to do better.”
Vasilevskiy, a native of Tyumen, Russia, is under contract through the 2027-28 season with a hefty cap hit of $9.5 million. On the other hand, Johansson, who signed with the team in 2023 on a two-year, $1.55 million deal, had a decent season last year, going 12-7-5 with a .890 save percentage and a 3.37 GAA.
As the Lightning face the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, Cooper remained tight-lipped about who would start in net, whether it would be Vasilevskiy looking to bounce back or Johansson getting his first start of the campaign. The decision remains a closely guarded secret, adding an element of suspense to the upcoming game.