NHL

Vasilevskiy Wins Conn Smythe Trophy as NHL Playoff MVP

Published

3 years ago

July 8, 2021

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy hoists the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — When Andrei Vasilevskiy was thrust into the 2015 Stanley Cup Final with starting goaltender Ben Bishop injured, he was a shy, unknown player at the beginning of his NHL journey.

Six years later, he’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion at the peak of his career after backstopping the Tampa Bay Lightning to a second consecutive title. Continuing to validate the organization’s faith in him, Vasilevskiy had a shutout in all four series clinchers, never lost back-to-back games and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

So focused on raising the Cup again, Vasilevskiy didn’t even hear NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman call his name.

“It was a big surprise,” Vasilevskiy said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

His five consecutive series-clinching shutouts dating to the 2020 final are a league record. After carrying the Lightning to another championship, Vasilevskiy sipped a sports drink leaning against the bench while his teammates celebrated — a much deserved breather while fans chanted, “Va-sy! Va-sy!”

Despite teammate and Russian countryman Nikita Kucherov continually calling him the best and saying he’d be MVP, Vasilevskiy said — with the Conn Smythe Trophy next to him — “I still can be better.”

“The whole team deserves it for sure,” Vasilevskiy said. “We were able to shut down the teams four times in a row in clinching games and that’s just amazing. it’s not about me. It’s about our team.”

Weeks away from his 27th birthday, Vasilevskiy is a much different goalie and more confident person than he was during his first trip to the final, a loss to Chicago, and the result of that is another chance to hoist the Cup.

Vasilevskiy was at his best when Tampa Bay needed him to be. He stopped 135 of 141 shots in games after a loss, including Wednesday night’s season finale. He was a rock in a Game 2 win during the final, stopping 42 of 43 shots when the Montreal Canadiens tilted the ice toward him.

“Just the absolute competitive gamer that we know he is,” veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “Night in, night out (the) backbone of this team.”

That was Bishop’s role in 2015 before a torn groin derailed his Cup final. Vasilevskiy had started a total of 13 NHL games at that point and had the spotlight on him at age 20 on hockey’s biggest stage.

Coach Jon Cooper said Vasilevskiy had to learn quickly, and he has. The Russian netminder is now squarely in the debate as the best in the world, a label that had often belonged to Montreal’s Carey Price.

“Torches get passed and I think Carey is still carrying the torch but it’s getting passed to guys like Vasy,” Cooper said. “It’s the mental makeup. Carey Price has a demeanor about him that it exudes confidence. And (Vasilevskiy) has an ability to turn the page. He has an ability to play at big moments, and he’s grown into that.”

Tampa Bay wouldn’t have won a second consecutive championship without Vasilevskiy’s growth. His play this run made him playoff MVP over Kucherov, who again led the Lightning in scoring and joined Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the only players with 30-plus points in consecutive postseasons.

Kucherov has seen and appreciated Vasilevskiy’s value for a decade.

“His compete level is as high as it can be,” Kucherov said. “I remember him when he was 16. He was always the guy that cares about the game and wants to be better and he wants to be No. 1. And, as we can see, he is.”

NHL

Lightning Sign D Mikhail Sergachev, F Anthony Cirelli and D Erik Cernak to Eight-Year Contract Extensions

Published

2 years ago

July 13, 2022

FNN NEWS

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, forward Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Erik Cernak each to an eight-year contract extension, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today.

Sergachev, 24, has skated in 362 career regular season games, 358 of them with the Lightning, notching 36 goals and 174 points. He ranks fifth all-time in Tampa Bay franchise history among defensemen for goals and scoring and fourth for assists (138). The former ninth overall pick (of Montreal) in the 2016 NHL Draft has also played in 92 postseason games and posted eight goals and 30 points. He ranks second in Lightning history among defensemen for playoff games, goals, assists (22) and scoring. Sergachev’s eight-year contract is worth an AAV of $8.5 million.

Cirelli, 24, has skated in 294 career NHL games, all with the Lightning, recording 66 goals and 159 points. During the 2021-22 season, Cirelli posted 17-26—43 points in 76 games played, one point shy of his career high 16-28—44 pts. from the 2019-20 season. He led Tampa Bay forwards for blocked shots (67), ranked sixth in the NHL for penalties drawn (42) and finished fifth in Selke Trophy voting in 2021-22. In postseason play, Cirelli has notched 14 goals and 34 points in 92 games, ranking 11^th all-time in Lightning playoff history for scoring. Cirelli’s eight-year contract is worth an AAV of $6.25 million.

Cernak, 25, has skated in 226 career NHL games, all with the Lightning, posting 16 goals, 59 points and a plus-51 rating. During the 2021-22 regular season, the Kosice, Slovakia native notched a goal and 13 points and led the Lightning for hits (165) in 55 games. Cernak has played in 73 career postseason games, recording two goals and 19 points. He netted the Stanley Cup-opening goal in Game 1 of the 2021 Cup Final versus Montreal, becoming the first Tampa Bay player to net his first career playoff goal in a Stanley Cup Final. A second round selection of the Los Angeles Kings (43^rd overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft, Cernak was traded to the Lightning on February 26, 2017. Cernak’s eight-year contract is worth an AAV of $5.2 million.

NHL

NHL: Lightning Re-Sign Forward Simon Ryfors to a One-Year, Two-Way Contract

Published

2 years ago

June 20, 2022

FNN SPORTS

Simon Ryfors had two goals and an assist in the Lightning’s 5-2 win over Nashville in the opening game of the NHL Prospect Showcase Saturday afternoon at Amalie Arena. Photo: Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times.

TAMPA BAY –The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward Simon Ryfors to a one-year, two-way contract, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced.

Ryfors, 24, played in 72 games during the regular season for the Syracuse Crunch, Tampa Bay’s American Hockey League affiliate, posting 11 goals and 35 points, ranking tied for seventh on the Crunch for scoring. He also skated in five Calder Cup Playoff games with the Crunch and notched a goal, assist and a plus-four rating.

The Stockholm, Sweden native originally signed with the Lightning organization on May 12, 2021. Prior to that, he skated seven seasons with Rogle BK of the SHL, tallying 41 goals and 93 points to go along with 165 penalty minutes in 250 games. He set career bests in the SHL in 2020-21 for goals (25), assists (20) and points (45).

NHL

Lightning Acquire F Brandon Hagel, Two 4th Round Picks from Chicago

Published

2 years ago

March 18, 2022

FNN SPORTS

TAMPA BAY, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Source: Tampa Bay Lightning // The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired forward Brandon Hagel, Chicago’s fourth-round selection in 2022 and fourth-round pick in 2024 from the Blackhawks in exchange for forwards Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, Tampa’s first-round selection in 2023 and first-round selection in 2024, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today. Both first-round picks the Lightning are sending to Chicago are top 10 protected.

Hagel, 23, has played in 55 games so far this season for Chicago, recording 21 goals and 37 points. Hagel ranks second on the Blackhawks for goals and game-winning goals (3) and fourth for scoring and power-play goals (4). In 108 games with Chicago over three seasons, Hagel has posted 30 goals and 61 points. He made his NHL debut March 11, 2020 versus San Jose, the only game he played during the 2019-20 season. Hagel is under contract through the 2023-2024 season with a salary cap number of $1,500,000.