TAMPA — Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Utah Mammoth at Benchmark International Arena on January 26, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)
NHLI via Getty Images
In assessing his 13-game point streak and the success his team has enjoyed overall, Andrei Vasilevskiy noted things have been going pretty well at the other end of the rink. Specifically, the Tampa Bay Lightning averaged nearly five goals per game during a recent 11-game win streak that grew into a 15-game point streak.
“It’s hard to lose with that kind of support,” he said.
It’s hard to lose with the way the “Big Cat” has tended goal. A 2-0 blanking of Utah on Monday night, surprisingly only his second shutout of the season, extended Vasilevskiy’s aforementioned point streak (12-0-1) during which he has a 1.73 goals against average with a .926 save percentage. The win over the Mammoth was the 31-year-old Russian’s 354th to break a tie with countryman Evgeni Nabokov and Rogie Vachon for sole possession of 24th on the NHL’s all-time list. The shutout was his 42nd.
As impressive as Vasilevskiy’s run has been, it is eight games behind the career best 21-game streak (19-0-2) he pieced together in 2019-20. He is one shy of his second longest streak, a 14-gamer in 2017-18 during which he went 13-0-1.
“He has been the backbone for this team all year,” said Darren Raddysh, who has been dazzling himself during a season in which he is tied for sixth among NHL defensemen in scoring with 44 points and whose eight power play goals lead the team. “He does it all and I think he is the best goalie in the world. Having him back there gives us a lot of confidence to be aggressive and try to play the way we want to play.”
Vasilevskiy has been back there, alright. The five-time Vezina Trophy finalist (2018-19 winner) and two-time Stanley Cup champ heads into Thursday evening’s match against visiting Winnipeg leading the league in GAA at 2.07 and is second in save percentage at .920. He has not allowed more than two goals in seven straight games and has yielded more than three goals exactly once in his last 21 outings.
Credit to the penalty kill
Though it is a priceless luxury to have Vasilevskiy as the last line of defense, it is helpful when the penalty killing units are doing their part. To that extent, the Bolts head into their game against the Jets with the second-best PK in the league at 84.4% and trailing only the Blackhawks, who check in at 85.5%.
In the win over a Utah club that has enjoyed ample success of its own of late – Andre Tourigny’s club entered its game in Tampa on an 8-0-1 roll – the Lightning killed all three power plays while limiting the Mammoth to five shots on goal. Led by defenseman J.J. Moser’s five, the Lighting piled up 20 blocked shots for the evening with many on the penalty kill.
“It was huge and it has been huge the whole season,” Vasilevskiy said of a unit that is under the tutelage of assistants Dan Hinote and Rob Zettler. “Our guys are warriors. Lots of blocks. Lot of good plays.”
In the larger picture, Vasilevskiy appreciates how everyone in the room has gone about their work as the season approaches the Olympic break. The level consistency has certainly been noticeable.
“That’s how we should play and the last month and a half, two months, I think we have been doing that, and you see the result,” he said of a group that has fought through a slew of injuries. “Sometimes I have to step up and make a few saves, but for the most part the guys have been playing well.”
None better than No. 88 in goal.