Although Andrei Vasilevskiy Shines, Lightning Falls 4-2 To Penguins In Game 3

Heading into the Eastern Conference Finals, Andrei Vasilevskiy was still the backup goalkeeper for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Lightning Falls 4-2 To Penguins In Game 3

Now, however, he’s moved into the starting position following an injury to Ben Bishop. Despite stopping an impressive 44 out of 48 shots, the Lightning suffered a 4-2 home loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of the Conference Finals on Wednesday. The Penguins now lead the series 2-1.

In the past two games of this series, the 21-year-old Russian goalie has faced a total of 89 shots. His counterpart on the Penguins, 21-year-old Matt Murray, has faced 49 shots in the same span.

“He was unreal tonight,” the Lightning’s head coach Jon Cooper told reporters of Vasilevskiy’s performance. “What’s obviously upsetting is — what did we give up, 41 the other night? We were on the road, and they were desperate.”

“But  it’s extremely disappointing to give up 48 shots in your home building in a playoff game,” Cooper continued. “That’s unacceptable. So I just feel bad for the kid that he’s keeping us in there and we’re not finding a way to bail him out. The way things have gone these two games, it doesn’t matter who’s in net.”

Cooper also appeared optimistic Bishop could return in this series.

Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin each had an assist and a goal for the Penguins. Hagelin opened scoring with 10 seconds left in the second period after Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin turned over the puck in the Penguins zone, and took the rebound of a wrist shot from Kessel that Vasilevskiy saved but ultimately couldn’t control. It was Hagelin’s fifth goal of the playoffs.

Kessel scored his seventh goal of the playoffs at 5:16 of the third period to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. Nick Bonino won a puck battle against Tampa Bay forward Valtteri Filppula behind the net and passed it to Kessel, who beat Vasilevskiy high to the glove side from close range.

“They are a responsible line on both ends,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said of Hagelin, Bonino and Kessel. “[Bonino and Hagelin] obviously kill penalties and have great awareness defensively. I think [Kessel’s] game has come a long way away from the puck. …They are a line that we have a comfort level with.”

Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz also scored for Pittsburgh. Crosby netted a 4-on-3, one-timer power-play goal at 10:50 of the third after taking a pass from Evgeni Malkin at the right face-off dot, while Kunitz pushed the score to 4-1 with an unassisted goal at 13:12 of the third.

Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat scored for the Lightning, who have lost consecutive games for the first time in the postseason. Johnson scored with a backhander at 5:30 of the third period to make it 2-1, while Palat netted the final goal of the game, his fourth of the playoffs, with just 1:44 remaining.

Game 4 is set for Friday at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.

PHOTO: TAMPA, FL – MAY 18: Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning looks on prior to Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on May 18, 2016 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)