Did the Lightning overuse Andrei Vasilevskiy in the regular season?

One of the things that stands out in these playoffs is the importance of having two good goaltenders. It’s true in the season and it’s also true in the playoffs.

I hope the Canadiens general manager, Kent Hughes, takes notice and drafts accordingly. I even wondered if we didn’t use Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning) and Connor Hellebuyck (Jets) too much in the regular season.

They’re two of the best goaltenders in the NHL, but for some reason their performances haven’t lived up to expectations since the start of the playoffs, at least before yesterday’s games. Is it fatigue? Hellebuyck has played 64 games, and Vasilevskiy, 60.

I hate to ask myself that question because I still believe that a real number one should play close to 62 games and the auxiliary 20. Still, those 20 games are very important in the context of a team struggling to compete to the series.

It is true that not all teams bet on an elite goalkeeper and if I am not yet completely converted to alternation, I am taking notes, but it is a new mentality.

The fact remains that to date, in this first round of the playoffs, the Panthers and the Wild have granted starts to two different goalies; the Oilers are about to give one to Jack Campbell and that’s not to mention that due to injuries, the Golden Knights are betting on their number three goalie in Laurent Brossoit and the Hurricanes, on their number two in Antti Raanta .

The good news in Winnipeg and Tampa is that there are no questions about the identity of the goaltender for the next game, but elsewhere it is different.

Lyon or Bobrovsky?

Take the case of the Panthers. Due to the absences of Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight, Alex Lyon played the last eight games of the season and it was he who took the team to the playoffs.

Lyon deserved to start the playoffs and even went for a 6-3 win over Boston in Game 2. However, with a 0-3 third period deficit in Game 3, coach Paul Maurice retired him. Sergei Bobrovsky played Game 4, a 6-2 loss (30 shots, 5 goals against) in which he was not brilliant.

The Panthers are becoming a new version of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that can’t make it past the first round, and there are always questions in net. Who will be Maurice’s choice to avoid elimination in match number 5?

Even if we can’t blame Lyon much, to beat the best team in the NHL, Maurice must choose the one who has the best chance of stealing a game and that’s Bobrovsky. He’s not in the shape of a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, but he’s the Panthers’ best card and the last game saw him chase the rust away.

Why Fleury?

I had no problem with Wild coach Dean Evason starting the playoffs with Filip Gustavsson. After his superb season, he deserved the first start and he was superb in a 3-2, 51-save double-overtime win at Dallas.

But why the hell come back with Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 2? After such a performance, a coach does not want to break the rhythm of his goalkeeper. Moreover, it was unfair to Fleury. Replacing a goalkeeper who has just had an exceptional match is always difficult. Evason is a personal friend and I will definitely talk to him about this decision when I have the chance.

– Interview by Gilles Moffet

snippets

Opportunity for Campbell

Despite having a great season, Stuart Skinner hasn’t been particularly impressive in goal for the Oilers. In relief in game number four, Jack Campbell managed to stop the Kings’ momentum and help them overcome an 0-3 deficit, to win 5-4 in overtime and tie the series 2-2. Campbell has a golden chance to redeem his season. The Oilers MVP is Leon Draisaitl, but rest assured Connor McDavid hasn’t said his last word. I can’t wait to see how Joonas Korpisalo rebounds in net for the Kings. We know that the Oilers can score goals, but they have to limit the chances against them.

The Tough Kraken

I often say that the first round of the playoffs is the most difficult, so the kraken Seattle was one goal away from returning Colorado with a 2-0 series lead. However, if there is a series for which I expected it to be one-sided, it is this one.

Toronto newspapers

I was reading the Toronto papers before the game yesterday and we seemed to rule out Andrei Vasilevskiy of the equation. I don’t know how it ended yesterday, but you should never count to beat a goalkeeper of his caliber. Don’t forget that the Nordiques were leading 2-0 against the Canadiens in 1993 when Daniel Bouchard said he had found a fault with Patrick Roy. We know the rest.

Dubois makes you dream

At this point, I don’t know if the series is tied 2-2 or if the Golden Knights are leading 3-1, but I really liked what I saw from Pierre-Luc Dubois at the Jets. I understand those who dream of seeing him in a Canadiens jersey. The loss of Josh Morrissey hurts the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck will have to be miraculous in front of his net.