![]() He stopped 30 of the 31 shots he faced, including all 21 even-strength shots. Tomkins, a 29-year-old who has yet to play an NHL game after playing in the AHL and the past two seasons in Sweden, had an impressive preseason debut in Wednesday’s 2-1 overtime win in Nashville. 1 through however many we’re going to play (without Vasilevskiy), but it’s about how we’re going to play as a team.” So we need to slot somebody in there for the rest of these exhibition games and games No. So I can’t emphasize enough it’s about the team and how we’re going to play offense, how we’re going to play defense, how we’re going to transition. “We’re evaluating the goaltending,” Cooper said earlier Friday. “Literally, when the decision was made, the procedure would happen within hours, so no, this isn’t something that, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe you didn’t get it earlier.’ This is something that flared up right at the beginning of training camp, so there was nothing else that could have been done.” “This happened as early as it possibly could have,” Cooper said before Friday’s game. A day later, Vasilevskiy had surgery to repair the disc. He didn’t appear comfortable either day, switching in and out with Johansson, and he looked visibly frustrated. He received a second injection, treatment and rest, then spent Tuesday and Wednesday testing the injury. ![]() But when he aggravated the injury last Thursday, and was unable to complete the first practice of training camp, everyone in the Lightning organization held their breath. The pain first crept up in August, and an injection seemed to resolve it. The Lightning went into this week hoping that Vasilevskiy’s injured back wouldn’t require surgery. The biggest thing for me is I think showing up in practice and being good every day. “It doesn’t matter what position I’m in, really. “I always try to prepare something as if I’m going to play every game,” Johansson said after Friday’s win. Clinging to a two-goal lead, Johansson also withstood an opening 10 minutes of the third period that saw the Hurricanes pepper him with 13 shots on goal. He stopped all 38 shots he faced in 5-on-5, including an 18-shot second period that saw Carolina create 12 high-danger scoring chances at even strength. But the 6-foot-5 Johansson stood tall Friday. The Lightning can’t expect Johansson, or fellow newcomer Matt Tomkins, to be Vasilevskiy, and their success without the former Vezina and Conn Smythe award winner will depend more on how the team plays defense than who is in the net. For him, confidence-wise, this has to be great for him.” It’s a small sample size, just one game tonight, but he sure made a case. “And so you want to see if he’s going to take this opportunity and seize it.
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