Florida Panthers center Brandon Pirri (9) attempts a shot against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr (62) and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of an NHL preseason hockey game, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017 in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee),
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said there are several reasons Tampa Bay has the best record in the NHL.
The primary factor has been the play of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
“It all starts and finishes with Vasilevskiy,” Cooper said Monday after his team’s practice at T-Mobile Arena. “He’s taken the next step as the starter and really helped us out.