Vasilevskiy replaces Bishop as Lightning win wild Game 2 to even Stanley Cup Final
Jason Garrison put the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead 4-3 midway through the third period of a wild Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks, and backup netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy helped them hang on to even the series.
Vasilevskiy replaced Ben Bishop prior to Garrison's goal and received credit for the victory with five saves down the stretch. Garrison and Nikita Kucherov each finished with a goal and an assist in the win.
Related: 3 takeaways from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final
Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen scored early in the second period to give Chicago a brief lead, and Brent Seabrook added his seventh goal of the postseason in the third period for the Blackhawks, who will host Game 3 on Monday.
Star Performer: Victor Hedman drove play at both ends of the ice for the entire contest. The Lightning defenseman led the team with 25:51 time on ice, shutting down the Blackhawks with partner Anton Stralman in the defensive zone and setting up a pair of goals - including Garrison's winner - with his relentless pinching in the offensive zone.
Turning Point: Chicago appeared to knock Tampa Bay on its heels with two goals in the opening 5:20 of the second period, but Kucherov scored at 6:52 to tie the game and Tyler Johnson added his franchise-record 13th goal of the postseason at 13:58 to put the Lightning back in control.
Goalie Comparison: Corey Crawford would like to have Johnson's goal back, but he doesn't deserve the blame for Chicago's loss. Bishop appeared to pull a muscle or suffer a cramp in the third period and Vasilevskiy was perfect in his limited appearance.
| Goalie | Shots | GA | Saves | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford | 24 | 4 | 20 | .833 |
| Bishop | 24 | 3 | 21 | .875 |
| Vasilevskiy | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1.000 |
Stat of the night: Vasilevskiy is the first goaltender to win a Stanley Cup Final game in a relief appearance since 1991, when Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Frank Pietrangelo stopped 15-of-18 shots in two periods after relieving Tom Barrasso.
Via Elias: @TBLightning Vasilevskiy is 1st to win 1st career playoff game in relief in #StanleyCup Final since 1928. pic.twitter.com/SYas2xzHV2
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 7, 2015
Series at a glance
Game 1: Blackhawks 2, Lightning 1
Game 2: Lightning 4, Blackhawks 3
Game 3: Monday, June 8, 8 p.m. ET
Game 4: Wednesday, June 10, 8 p.m. ET
Game 5: Saturday, June 13, 8 p.m. ET
Game 6*: Monday June 15, 8 p.m. ET
Game 7*: Wednesday June 17, 8 p.m. ET
*if necessary