What you don't know about Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa's backup savior

By foxsports
Published

The Tampa Bay Lightning have a goalie problem on their hands. Starter Ben Bishop, the steadying presence in net for the Bolts all season, left Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals for mysterious reasons and may not be available for Game 3 in Chicago. The Lightning therefore might have to hinge their Cup hopes on backup netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy.

So just who is this backup goalie? 

A recent story by The Globe and Mail revealed some little-known details about the 20-year-old Vasilevskiy.

Vasilevskiy was born in Tyumen, Russia, a city in Siberia which sits 2500 kilometers east of Moscow. His father, Andrei Sr., was also a goalie and played in Russia's second division before becoming a goalie coach for a junior team in Ufa, Russia. The Globe and Mail said Vasilevskiy's family lived a privileged life in Russia due to his father's career in hockey. Young Andrei married early, and according to The Globe and Mail, he is a homebody who enjoys playing video games.

Vasilevskiy, whom The Globe and Mail said has been touted as one of the best Russian goaltenders since famed Olympian Vladislav Tretiak, was selected 19th overall by the Lightning in the 2012 NHL Draft, marking the first time a Russian was chosen with the first goaltending pick of the draft. According to The Globe and Mail, Vasilevskiy is a confident player. He proved as much in an interview with Slava Malamud, a Russian writer who covers the NHL.

"I am the goalie Tampa has been looking for," Vasilevskiy said to Malamud.

This season is Vasilevskiy's first in North America, and the Lightning tried to help him adjust to a new continent by having him spend the majority of the year with their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. The young goalie still does not speak much English, but his hockey skills translated well to the different league. Vasilevskiy posted a .917 save percentage and a 14-6 record with two shutouts in 25 games with the Crunch before making the jump to the NHL, where he replaced Evgeni Nabokov as Tampa's backup and compiled a .918 save percentage in 16 regular season games with the Lightning this year.

The playoffs mark more new territory for the 20-year-old goalie. But if Vasilevskiy is intimidated by the grandeur of the Stanley Cup Finals, he isn't showing it.

"No nervous," Vasilevskiy told reporters when asked what he thought of possibly starting Game 3.

If Vasilevskiy is telling the truth, the goalie situation will be no problem for the Lightning.

(h/t The Globe and Mail) 

Photo credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports