TAMPA | “Stretching and Hydration. Andrei Vasilevskiy shared his plan for the Christmas season with Lightning’s communications manager. There was nothing out of the ordinary on his menu. No trip to Bermuda. No meatball, turkey or sugar pie stew.
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At 28, Vasilevskiy is still in his prime. But he already has some mileage in his body. 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup winner and finalist last year, number 88 has appeared in 251 games, including the playoffs.
Vasilevskiy dominates his nearest pursuer by several kilometers. The Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck is second with 206 games.
“There is almost a season difference between Vasi and the second started Frantz Jean, the Lightning goalie coach. If you are in such a situation, it is a good sign. It means your team has had a long run in the playoffs in recent years. That’s the positive aspect. »
A detailed plan
A few hours before Lightning practice on the ice at Amalie Arena, Jean dissects the plan with Vasilevskiy to give him a break. Above all, we don’t want to break the machine.
“As a goalkeeping coach, I have to adapt almost everything,” said Jean. We are changing our training to summer. He has far more time to rest than time to train. For the camp it has a different schedule. In the last two, three years we’ve only given him two games. There are number one goalkeepers who have three, four or five games. But not Vasi. »
“We’re also changing our approach to training,” the Quebecer continued. We look at the time he stays on the ice. He is also given time off for many of the morning practice sessions of a game. He stays in the arena, but he takes his time to stretch and follow his routine. He also works with the therapist. »
The Watchman Crosby
In Jean’s eyes, Vasilevskiy is a rare phenomenon. He even calls him the Sidney Crosby of his field.
“I’ve been in this business for 25 years. I can say that Vasi is the best in terms of preparation. For this year we even decided to minimize the preparation time. He had a pretty heavy routine, both physically and mentally. We didn’t want to exhaust it. I feel even fresher and rested this year. I can see it on his face. »
“It’s like a pitcher in baseball. The teams protect their aces and count the throws. We do the same. Vasi really takes care of himself physically. He doesn’t go out, he doesn’t drink and spends a lot of time with the therapists on a massage table every day. Off the ice, he diligently follows his routine. Knock on wood, but its durability is no accident. He’s not just big and strong. He’s working on getting more stamina. »
The case of Price
In the Lightning’s last three appearances in the finals, Vasilevskiy has appeared in 71 games. We understand the massive number better when we realize that the Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov is in second place with 34 games.
At Lightning Camp, we know Carey Price’s story very well. In his 30s, Price multiplied injuries to his knees.
“Genetically, all athletes are different,” Jean recalls. Ben Bishop for example; He had injuries and played fewer games than Vasi. But at 28 or 29, Bishop started having problems. He played a full season with a hand toss from his blocker. We knew it was genetic, he had misplaced bones. »
“The price is something like that. He’s 35 years old, he sustained a pretty bad knee injury in the 2014 series against Rangers. But in his case there was a medical history and he is older than Vasi. »
Number of games since 2019-2020 (in season and playoffs)
Since 2019-2020 (in season and playoffs)
1st: Andrei Vasilevskiy 251 games (180 +71)
2nd: Connor Hellebuyck 206 games (194 + 12)
3rd: Jacob Markstrom 199 games (173 + 26)
4th: Marc-André Fleury 187 games (162+25)
5th: Juuse Saros 178 games (168 + 10)