Vasilevskiy's quiet brilliance sparks Lightning

BUFFALO -- In a Tampa Bay Lightning dressing room full of expensive designer suits, the most valuable item of clothing in any cubicle likely comes from a thrift store.
To the uninformed, it looks like nothing more than an everyday camouflage jacket. But to the Lightning, it's a symbol of excellence awarded to the player deemed by his teammates to be the top performer during each individual game.

This season, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been the recipient of that jacket -- a lot. That's how good he's been in 2017-18.
"He usually has it in the stall almost every game," defenseman Victor Hedman said. "He's pretty much has it more than most of us."
And deservedly so, Hedman said.
In 21 games, Vasilevskiy has a League-leading 16 victories (16-4-1), along with a 2.23 goals-against average and .932 save percentage, which rank second and fourth respectively among goalies with at least 10 starts. In the process, he's wowed members of the Lightning organization, on the ice and off.

"He's been remarkable for us," coach Jon Cooper said.
"He's been one of the best in the world," captain Steven Stamkos said.
It's good that Cooper and Stamkos are so eager to talk about Vasilevskiy, because Vasilevskiy rarely likes to chat about himself, preferring to let his play speak for him. He's very private, which explains why he doesn't have accounts on Twitter and Instagram.
At 23, he's well-grounded and mature. In October, he told the Tampa Bay Times that "there's probably guys my age like to go to bars or somewhere else, but not me," adding that his life is made up of hockey and family." The boldest part of his makeup seems to be his penchant for classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
When the Lightning signed Vasilevskiy to a three-year, $10.5 million extension with an average annual value of $3.5 million on July 1, 2016, the plan was put in place for him to eventually succeed Ben Bishop as the starter. Bishop was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 26.
So far, so good.
Ask him about his success this season and he just shrugs his shoulders.
"The guys have been good in front of me so far this season," Vasilevskiy said. "In most games, we don't give up many quality chances. They make sure I can see the puck. Guys have played really good so far.
"The key is, we stick together. Sometimes we play well offensively, sometimes we play well defensively. We have each other's backs."

Vasilevskiy's words might be mild but they don't reflect the fire that burns inside him every time he steps on the ice.
According to his teammates, Vasilevskiy's practices are legendary. No matter the drill, no matter how outnumbered he might be, no matter how many guys are breaking in on him, he does not like pucks to get by him.
When they do, count on a response. A smack of the stick on the ice. A curse word. A personal vow that it won't happen again.
"He's the most competitive guy I've ever seen, along with Marty," Hedman said, referring to longtime Lightning forward Martin St. Louis. "He never gives up on pucks, and gets really frustrated when he lets a few in."
And when he does?
"We get on him a little bit," Hedman said with a laugh. "His compete level is unbelievable, and it rubs off on the entire team."
Vasilevskiy's performance as a first-year starter has pleasantly caught some of his teammates off-guard.
"Even I maybe was a little surprised how quickly he's become that," Stamkos said. "It shouldn't be a surprise because we see it game in, game out, at practice -- just the work ethic."

Even so, Vasilevskiy's road to becoming a No. 1 goalie has hardly been traditional.
As a rookie, Vasilevskiy was thrust right into the Stanley Cup spotlight when he stepped in after Bishop was injured and played four playoff games, including a start in Game 4 of the 2015 Final against the Chicago Blackhawks. He made 17 saves in a 2-1 loss.
One year later, Vasilevskiy got the call again when Bishop was taken off the ice on a stretcher, clutching his left knee, in the opener of the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He helped the Lightning stretch the series to a Game 7 before being eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
Vasilevskiy and Bishop battled for the starting job last season before general manager Steve Yzerman traded Bishop to the Kings.
"It's crazy about his development," Cooper said of Vasilevskiy. "It's kind of gone in reverse. He was thrown in the lineup way before he should have been, playing in the Stanley Cup Final and conference final before he'd ever spent a lot of time playing in regular-season games."
Bishop, 30, and Vasilevskiy stay in touch. They text each other frequently. Bishop told the Stars website he's "proud of the kid." Vasilevskiy still refers to Bishop as his "teacher" and "big brother."
Bishop signed a six-year, $29.5 million contract with the Dallas Stars on May 12 after they acquired him from the Kings three days earlier. On Nov. 16, Bishop played against Tampa Bay for the first time since being traded by the Lightning. It didn't go well for him; Tampa Bay defeated Dallas 6-1.
"He [Vasilevskiy] was great in that game, just like he's been in almost every game this season," Stamkos said.
Great enough to be selected for the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game, which will be held in Tampa Bay on Jan. 28?
"Of course," Stamkos said. "He deserves to be there as much as any of us, probably more."
On a team with Stamkos, Hedman and Nikita Kucherov, that's saying a lot.