Guess who made a surprise appearance at Lightning practice?
BRANDON — With about 10 minutes to go in the Lightning’s practice Sunday, Andrei Vasilevskiy lumbered out of the locker room at TGH Ice Plex. A month after having surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back, Vasilevskiy made his first appearance with the team for a light on-ice workout as part of his rehabilitation.
Coach Jon Cooper said he was happy to see the goalie getting back around the team but his timeline to return is the same. Vasilevskiy is expected back around Thanksgiving.
“It’s great to have him out there, but again, it’s not speeding up his recovery. It’s just now he’s with our team a lot more, which is the best part because he’s actually a great guy to be around,” Cooper said. “But it hasn’t changed, and it’s not that he’s coming back any quicker. We wish it could happen, but it’s just great to have him around, though.”
Vasilevskiy, who had a microdiscectomy to address a lumbar disk herniation Sept. 28, was not available for comment. It was clear, however, that his presence on the ice made an impact.
“It’s really nice to see a guy getting closer … to getting back on the ice kind of skating and improving,” defenseman Erik Cernak said. “He’s a big part of our team, so we can’t wait to have him back.”
“Obviously, (backup goaltender Jonas Johansson) is doing an amazing job for us. He’s been awesome, very good in every single game, performing really well. So we’re happy we have him, too. And we have good, good goaltending.”
Johansson had just 35 games of NHL experience before signing with the Lightning as a free agent in the offseason. He was thrown into the role of starter by Vasilevskiy’s injury and has been a pleasant surprise.
In seven games, Johansson is 4-1-2 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. This past week, he posted shutouts in two straight starts with 32 saves against the Hurricanes and 23 against the Sharks.
“I think (Johansson) was a bit of an unknown to a lot of players, and he’s come in here and he’s earned his stripes,” Cooper said. “So you always want to have that guy behind the starter that everybody’s got confidence in him. Fortunately for us, we’ve had that in years past. This one was a little bit more of an unknown because we’ve had veteran guys back there in the past, but (Johansson) is … worth his weight in gold.”
That will pay off down the line, with Johansson able to step in and help keep Vasilevskiy healthy, defenseman Nick Perbix said.
“I think that’s very important, like just to lighten the load for both of them,” Perbix said. “Just to know that they have each other’s back, and it’s always important to have a good goalie tandem. That keeps them well-rested so when they are playing, they’re at 100%.”
Though Vasilevskiy is weeks away from a return to games, the Lightning hope forward Tyler Motte is closer. Motte participated in his second practice since suffering an upper-body injury in the season opener. He still wore a red no-contact jersey, but he said he felt good and hoped to rejoin the team on the road trip that starts Thursday in Columbus.
“I’d have liked to be back two weeks ago if I could,” Motte said. “I guess it’s the doctors’ and the staff’s job to make sure I’m not at risk of going back too early. But it’s felt good so far. So whatever time when they tell me (I’m back), I’m pretty comfortable.”
Just getting back into practice was a big step.
“It’s always nice to be with the team,” Motte said. “It’s a different energy, and it’s fun to feel more a part of the group and see the guys. It’s just a great group to be a part of, and obviously getting touches and having some sessions with other guys on the ice goes a long way.”
Contact Kristie Ackert at kackert@tampabay.com.
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