THE ONE PERCENT

Mario Russo

Good players take what is given to them and push their limits to make something out of it. Great players take the path both less and rarely traveled upon by taking what is less tangible and turning it into history. Very few athletes possess even one of these traits, yet with this year’s Stanley Cup Final just days away, the vast sport-loving community may very well take a peak at what lies above presumed eminence.

Just four wins away from capturing his third consecutive championship, Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy looks to throw his hat in the ring of predominant greats - not just those who have stretched between the posts throughout their NHL careers. Joining an exclusive list of dynasties may very well be the final domino to fall in the Russian goaltender’s pursuit of GOAT status, making this chase to ascendancy that much more seductive.

What the 27-year old has been able to accomplish in this postseason alone can be captivated in one simple word. Dominance. After being written off for much of his first round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vasilevskiy quickly flipped a switch in games six and seven to lead his side over the initial hump.

From treading water in round one, Vasy and the Bolts swam past their state rivals in round two. Just as he did late against the Leafs, Vasilevskiy refamiliarized the hockey world with the term ‘brick wall’ evident through a smashing .981 SV % throughout the series- including a 49-save shutout to eliminate the non-responsive Panthers.

In his most recent third-round victory, Vasy outduelled Vezina-finalist Igor Shesterkin, besting both him and the Rangers in six games. The reverse sweep from the Lightning however shined a brighter light on not just the play in goal, but the relentlessness of this group in search of their third consecutive title.

Over the years, winning rounds has never been an unfamiliar facet to the Bolts postseason persona. Whether they come from behind, or well in front, Tampa has accumulated a wide range of evidence to redefine the possibilities in arguably the game’s most talented and decadent era.

No matter the amount of evidence this team racks up in pushing the boundaries of the game, one similarity rests between each case, or rather between the pipes for the Lightning. Does the reigning champ’s dominance solely rest in the play of Andrei Vasilevskiy? Or does the Bolts goaltender breed success and longevity throughout his team?

Trust in all areas of the ice often acknowledges successful hockey teams. Withholding a strong trust in your goaltender enables teams such as the Lightning to take a greater amount of risks both defensively and offensively. High risk, high reward is the outcome of Andrei Vasilevskiy’s dominance in goal and is a massive factor as to why he is just four wins away from eclipsing some of the best this league has ever seen.

A .991 SV % in his last 8 series-clinching wins. Half a dozen shutouts within that span. Eleven consecutive playoff series wins. The Most Valuable postseason player in 2021 and Most Valuable goaltender two years before that. Quite frankly, the numbers speak for themselves. The pedigree speaks for itself, and adding a third diamond ring to the fingers should undoubtedly land a smack on the face of those who think anything less of the Russian goaltender's strut towards the top.

This one-of-a-kind goaltender will soon be playing for an unparalleled status that this sport has yet to see for quite some time. Vasilevskiy has already shifted his name from good to great talks throughout the years, leaving this Stanley Cup Final with one indifferent storyline to follow over the next few weeks:

The search for the ‘1 %’

The search for something greater than great.