CHICAGO — The pucks kept ringing off the post for the Chicago Blackhawks. One, two, three, and the groans from the crowd at United Center grew ever louder, ever more anxious.
The man protecting the net for Tampa Bay — counting his good fortune every time he heard a clang — was a 20-year-old rookie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was making the first postseason start of his career. He had starred on the international level and shone in limited duty during the regular season. He even secured a victory for the Lightning in Game 2.