The Wraparound: Vasilevskiy doesn’t miss many chances to eliminate opponents

With one more win the Tampa Bay Lightning will be back in the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive season and the fourth time over the past seven seasons.

They enter Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday night with a 3-2 series lead over the New York Rangers after winning three consecutive games. It has been a combination of the Lightning’s top line taking over, as well as Andrei Vasilevskiy allowing just four goals in Games 3-5 of the series.

If recent history is any guide, this is where Vasilevskiy really starts to shine.

Vasilevskiy has been one of the constants for the Lightning over the past three seasons, playing every minute in goal for the team in the postseason. While his overall numbers are sensational and have helped cement his status among the all-time greats, it is when he has a chance to knock an opponent out of the playoffs where he really takes over. He is as automatic in these games as any player in the NHL can be.

Since the start of the 2019-20 postseason, Vasilevskiy and the Lightning have played in 15 games where they have had a chance to eliminate an opponent.

Vasilevskiy’s record in those games is 10-5 (with only one of those losses coming in regulation; the other four in overtime) with a .951 save percentage and a whopping six shutouts.

For his career, he has a .944 save percentage in 22 games where the Lightning have a chance to eliminate an opponent. In 15 those of games he has allowed two goals or less. In 10 games he has allowed one goal or less.

What is perhaps even more stunning is that in his career he has actually lost three potential knockout games in which he has only allowed two goals and had save percentage over .940. In the aforementioned four overtime losses he