Andrei Vasilevskiy

Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Acquire Ryan McDonagh from Predators for Draft Picks

Look who’s back, back again. Mac is back, tell a friend! In the first major trade of the offseason, the Tampa Bay Lightning has acquired former defenseman Ryan McDonagh and a 2024 fourth-round draft pick from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2024 seventh-rounder and 2025 second-round pick. Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, […]

NHL Playoffs: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Series Recap | 05/03/2024

The Battle for Florida delivered on the rivalry intensity. The score didn’t always reflect how close each game was, as games four and five were blowout wins. Florida looked like a team out on a mission to complete what they fell just short of last season: winning the Stanley Cup. Tampa, meanwhile, was fighting for […]

NHL Playoffs: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Game 4 Recap | 04/27/2024

With their backs against the wall, the Tampa Bay Lightning showed up in a big way by letting the Florida Panthers know they weren’t going down without a fight. Armed with an emotional boost, as defenseman Mikhail Sergachev returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a fractured tibia and fibula on February […]

NHL Playoffs: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Game 3 Recap | 04/25/2024

Heading home with an 0-2 deficit, the Tampa Bay Lightning knew they had to win to make this a series. Unfortunately, another close loss puts a season that at times looked promising on life support. While this team lacks experience defensively and stumbled through much of the regular season, a March to remember showed they […]

Lightning’s Playoff Fate Hinges on Kucherov Showing Up

Staring at an 0-2 deficit against the Florida Panthers, the Tampa Bay Lightning are in real danger of getting swept out of the first round for the first time since 2019. If that occurs, one key reason would be the play of top-line winger Nikita Kucherov. For the current Art Ross Trophy winner with 144 […]

Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning | Game 2 Recap

If viewers thought Game 1 was good in the Battle for Florida, Game 2 was somehow even better. The goalie saves were outrageous, and tensions are already getting even more heated. Regulation wasn’t enough this time around as the game headed into overtime. For those unfamiliar, playoff overtime works differently than the regular season; teams […]

NHL Playoffs: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1 Recap | 04/21/2024

As advertised, Game 1 of the Battle for Florida did not disappoint. The in-state rivalry kicked off with a lot of pace from both teams, very strong defense, and a bit of chippiness, but no major fights yet. Florida made a couple of big hits on Tampa, and the Lightning responded in kind. It was […]

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Playoff Preview

It’s the best time of the year. The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs are here. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, this is the seventh consecutive season that they have made the postseason. Last season was their only first-round exit in the current run, as they fell short in six games to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Entering […]

Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Round 1 Series Preview

This series is being dubbed the battle for Florida; which team will come out victorious, the Panthers or the Lightning? After clinching the Atlantic Division title, Florida is set up for an in-state rivalry in round one. While I personally would have preferred a matchup with the Maple Leafs, the Cats went 2-1 this season […]

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Vasilevskiy Returning to Form for the Lightning

The beginning of the 2023-24 season was not a good one for Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy, 29, missed the first 20 games of the season while recovering from surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. To make matters worse, the Lightning did not play well while Vasilevskiy was hurt. […]