Lightning Lose Goalie in Peak Form to IR

The Tampa Bay Lightning spent the first two weeks of the season staring at a standings page that looked more like a warning sign than a slow start. One win in their first seven games and a schedule that offered zero breathing room had them buried at the bottom of the division. And then — almost overnight — everything shifted.

Tampa didn’t just find its footing. They sprinted from last to first in the Atlantic Division in under a month, powered by a roster that finally started clicking and a goaltender who looked every bit like the Conn Smythe winner he is. The . But just as Andrei Vasilevskiy reached his peak form, the Lightning were hit with the worst possible news.

Vasilevskiy’s Return to Peak "Big Cat" Form

It’s no mystery why Tampa’s turnaround happened so quickly. Yes, younger and less experience players have had a huge role. And yes, the top line has looked electric. But at the center of the entire revival was Vasilevskiy returning to the version of himself opponents dread.

Through 19 games this season, he posted an 11-6-2 record with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. Those are strong numbers on their own. But his performance during Tampa’s November push was borderline ridiculous — a 1.97 GAA and a .929 save percentage, despite playing behind what he jokingly referred to as a “Syracuse Crunch blue line” in a postgame interview. With Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak all missing time, Vasilevskiy was the stabilizer the team needed and the reason Tampa could survive this chaotic stretch.

Andrei Vasilevskiy's last 6 games:

- 6-0-0
- .959 save percentage
- 1.16 goals against average
- 7 total goals allowed

Vezina nomination loading... pic.twitter.com/UWRVPlpcGu
— Andrew Weiss (@WeissHockeyTalk) December 2, 2025

Young Defense and New Top Line Stepping Up for the Lightning

Tampa’s sudden resurgence wasn’t just about goaltending, though. Defensemen JJ Moser and Charles-Édouard D’Astous filled major holes created by injuries to the team’s longtime anchors. They played beyond their experience, giving Tampa steady minutes when it desperately needed them.

Up front, the Lightning faced another blow when their top line center, Brayden Point, went down in the Lightnings 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Nov. 22. Without Point in the lineup, the chemistry between Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel has flourished, giving Tampa a new look forward-unit. Add in Anthony Cirelli’s two-way steadiness, and Tampa’s reshaped first line has been one of the sparks behind their recent surge.

Vasilevskiy Placed on Injured Reserve

That’s what makes the timing so crushing. According to Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider, Tampa has placed Vasilevskiy on injured reserve after already missing two games with an undisclosed injury. With his last appearance coming last Tuesday against the Islanders, league rules guarantee he’ll miss at least two more games, making him eligible for a return only after the Lightnings matchup with the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 9.

#GoBolts have placed G Andrei Vasilevskiy on injured reserve. He last played on Tuesday in New York, so he'll miss tonight's game in Toronto and tomorrow in Montreal at the minimum. #TBLightning
— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) December 8, 2025

The good news? It doesn’t sound long-term. Speculation points toward a potential return on Dec. 11 against the New Jersey Devils.

For now, the Tampa Bay Lightning will hold their breath — and hold the net — without the player who helped rescue their season. But if the Big Cat picks up where he left off, the Lightning’s surge may only be getting started.

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