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TAMPA, Fla. — Andrei Vasilevskiy says he doesn’t know if the heavy workload over the past four seasons is to blame.

But the two-time Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender feels as if his body let him down in the second half of the season.

And he says he knows why.

“My mistake was that I didn’t really pay attention to my recovery,” Vasilevskiy said on Tuesday, three days after Tampa Bay was eliminated by Toronto in a first-round playoff series.

“The first 30, 35 games, I felt as usual, but then me and my body weren’t on the same page, I guess,” Vasilevskiy added. “All those small injuries came out at the same time. Good lessons, another experience. This season really showed me that I have to be smart about it. So, if I want to be a workhorse, I have to recover well.”

Vasilevskiy started 71 playoff games as Tampa Bay won the Cup in 2020 and ’21, as he earned playoff MVP honors the second time, before the Lightning lost to Colorado in last season’s final. He went 34-22-4 in 60 regular-season games this season but lost 12 of his final 20 outings.

He has played more hockey since the bubble playoffs began in August 2020 than anyone else in the NHL: 14,769 minutes over 242 games in the regular season and playoffs. The next closest over that time is Winnipeg‘s Connor Hellebuyck at just under 11,372 minutes over 192 games.

“We’ll find out next year if it was too many games or just something else,” Vasilevskiy said.

Vasilevskiy’s goals against average of 2.65 and .915 save percentage during the regular season were his worst since the 2015-16 season.

However, the Lightning have been impacted by salary-cap-related player losses over the past couple of seasons, including standout defenseman Ryan McDonagh and winger Ondrej Palat.

“At some point, will it take a toll? I’m sure it does,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of Vasilevskiy’s heavy workload. “So, he’s probably being a little harder on himself. You take a few months off, his body will heal. He’s still a young man, keeps himself in terrific shape, but the mind’s got to heal and I think that will probably be the best part there.”

Vasilevskiy, 28, plans to rest for the next five to seven weeks.

“More opportunity to prepare your mind and body for the next season properly,” Vasilevskiy said. “Something we didn’t have the last few years. I don’t normally like to take too much time off, but at the same time I understand that it’s something I need right now. Be smart next season about it, and what I have to change during the offseason, during the season just to stay more fresh.”

INJURIES

Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois confirmed that defenseman Erik Cernak has a concussion stemming from a check to the head by Toronto’s Michael Bunting in the series opener that prompted a three-game suspension.

Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman sat out Game 2 against the Maple Leafs because of a hip impingement.

Center Brayden Point played with a rib cage cartilage fracture after a hit by defenseman Morgan Rielly in Game 3.

OFFSEASON DECISIONS

Captain Steven Stamkos will be entering the final year of his contract next season, and talks about an extension will begin this summer.

Left winger Alex Killorn is an unrestricted free agent and might be the next salary-cap-related departure. He has played 11 years for Tampa Bay.

Forward Corey Perry, who turns 38 on May 16, plans to keep playing. The unrestricted free agent has 417 goals in an 18-year career.

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Makar 9th NHL blueliner with 30 goals in season

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Makar 9th NHL blueliner with 30 goals in season

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Avalanche star Cale Makar scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night to become the ninth defenseman in the NHL, and the first with Colorado, to score 30 goals in a season.

The sixth-year player is the NHL’s first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark since Mike Green of the Washington Capitals had 31 in 2008-09.

Makar put the Avalanche up 5-2 by scoring a power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the second period. He was set up in the left circle for a one-timer by a pass from Nathan MacKinnon. He also had two assists as the Avalanche won, 7-3, to clinch their eighth consecutive playoff appearance.

Overall, NHL blue liners have now combined to reach 30 goals 18 times, led by Bobby Orr, who had five 30-goal seasons. Paul Coffey (four) and Denis Potvin (three) are the only others to have had multiple 30-goal seasons. The list is rounded out by Ray Bourque, Kevin Hatcher, Phil Housley and Doug Wilson.

With the goal and two assists, the 26-year-old Makar also increased his point total to 90, matching the franchise record for defenseman he set last season. In doing so, he became the NHL’s fifth defenseman to produce consecutive 90-point seasons, and first since Coffey (1988-89 to 1990-91) and Al MacInnis (1989-90 to 1990-91).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Oilers keep pace for home ice, but lose Draisaitl

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Oilers keep pace for home ice, but lose Draisaitl

SAN JOSE, Calif. — NHL leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl left the Edmonton Oilers‘ game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in the second period because of an undisclosed injury and didn’t return.

Draisaitl appeared to be injured midway through the second period and skated gingerly to the bench before leaving for the dressing room. Coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game that he had no update on the severity of the injury.

Jeff Skinner scored the tiebreaking goal shortly after Draisaitl left the game, giving the Oilers a 3-2 victory that kept them within two points of the Los Angeles Kings in the race for second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Obviously we’ve had some injuries to key guys,” Skinner said. “It’s a lot of opportunity for other guys to step up and I think guys have done a good job so far. We’re going to have to continue that and keep working together to get the results we want.”

Draisaitl had an assist earlier in the second period. He leads the NHL with 52 goals and is third in the league with 106 points.

Draisaitl sat out four games last month because of an undisclosed injury.

The Oilers are already without star center Connor McDavid, who has been sidelined since colliding with Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey on March 20. McDavid has resumed skating with the team in a noncontact jersey but there is no timetable for his return.

The playoffs begin in just over two weeks.

“You never want to miss those guys,” Knoblauch said. “You never want your top players not to play because every time they’re not in, it decreases your chances of winning because they are good players, obviously. But what happens is other guys have some opportunities to play, get some confidence, hopefully score some goals, because we’re going to need them.”

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Blues’ Holloway exits with lower-body injury

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Blues' Holloway exits with lower-body injury

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis forward Dylan Holloway left the Blues’ 5-4 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first period Thursday night because of a lower-body injury.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery had no additional information on the injury after the game.

“We’ll have more, I’m sure, tomorrow,” Montgomery said.

The team announced the injury during the first intermission and said he would not return to the game. It was not clear when Holloway was injured.

Holloway had eight shifts in the first period.

Holloway has been a driving force in the Blues’ 11-game winning streak, which ties a franchise record. He has 26 goals and 37 assists in 77 games this season.

“Obviously, that’s an elite player for us, someone who plays in all situations, and, you know, a really important piece to our team,” forward Jake Neighbours said. “We had to focus on the task at hand. … it sucked losing Dylan, and just hope he’s OK.”

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