Vasilevskiy becomes fastest goalie to 300 NHL wins
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy got to 300 wins faster than anyone else in NHL history, doing so in his 490th game to break Jacques Plante's record with a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Plante earned his 300th win in his 528th contest (though he didn't have the benefit of the shootout and lack of ties), achieving the feat in 1963.
Vasilevskiy either tied for the lead or led the league in wins for five straight seasons from 2017-18 through 2021-22. No NHL puck-stopper has more victories since 2017-18 than him, collecting 259 in 400 games over that span.
The 30-year-old's played his entire career with the Lightning. He's in his 11th campaign with the Bolts, and helped them win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.
Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie in 2019. He's a four-time finalist, finishing in the top three every season from 2017-18 to the abbreviated 2021 campaign.
The Russian had a difficult 2023-24 by his standards, posting a career-low .900 save percentage while going 30-20-2. However, he's rebounded to a degree this season, posting a mark of .913 with a 7-5-1 record including Thursday's victory.
Tampa Bay drafted Vasilevskiy 19th overall in 2012.
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