TAMPA, Fla. — Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said he wanted to be clear when addressing the status of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
"This isn’t the end of Vasy’s season," Cooper said after Friday's morning skate. "He will be back. And hopefully, knowing him, it’ll be sooner than later. But for a short time here, we’re going to have to fill the gap."
Vasilevskiy's will miss the next two months following successful lower-back surgery. The team's primary back-ups are Jonas Johansson and Hugo Alnefelt. Matt Tomkins is currently the third goalie on the preseason roster.
"In the end, I just have to focus on my game and being prepared for everything," Alnefelt said in the locker room. "Being the best version of myself out there every day."
Johansson was not made available for interviews because he's starting tonight's preseason opener against Carolina.
Vasilevskiy, or no Vasilevskiy, Cooper said he has full faith in his team and the formula that's made them one of the best franchises in the NHL.
"I’ve got complete confidence in the way our team has played for the past decade and the way I think we’ll play in the future," Cooper added. "Does it hurt not having one of your core players on the team- whether it’s Vasy or anybody up front? For sure, it is. It’s also an opportunity for others. It’s an opportunity for us to get better as a team. When there’s a little bit of adversity, maybe some good can come of it down the road. And that’s the way we’re looking at it."
The players said the key to having a successful preseason is focusing on details and doing the little things right every day.
"It’s not that summer hockey anymore where everyone’s just on their own page," forward Tanner Jeannot said after Friday's workout. "We all have to work as a team out there and be predictable for each other and help each other out as much as we can. Because that’s how you win in this league. So that’s what these games are good for."
Tampa Bay hosts the Carolina Hurricanes for their preseason home opener tonight at 7 p.m.
