With the success of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy comes the diminishing opportunity for Peter Budaj to shine.
The backup goalie on a team is overlooked at times. The starting goalie starts more games, while the backup sits on the bench with a hat on, anticipating the chance to play. This is prominent with Peter Budaj, the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s backup goaltender.
The Lightning has had a strong start this season. Sitting atop the standings, the offense has dominated with a +17 goal rating through 15 games. Everything is going as smooth as possible in the offense portion of the game. However, defense is also key for a successful team. So far, starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has performed well, with one regulation loss and one overtime loss.
With this success comes a lot of playing time for Vasilevskiy. He has started all but two games thus far, and has led the team to domination. However, this results in the backup goaltender to not play as much.
Peter Budaj has a 4.00 Goals Against Average in his two starts. In his 53 games played with the Los Angeles Kings last year, he had a 2.12 GAA. Budaj became the King’s starter for a majority of the 2016-2017 season after Jonathan Quick suffered a groin injury early on in the season in October.
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Later in the season, Quick is healthy again. Budaj is then involved in the Ben Bishop trade with the Lightning. Budaj ends the season with a 2.80 GAA in his seven starts.
Budaj’s first start of the season was against the New Jersey Devils. Despite a strong offense, Budaj gave up four goals, not including the winning shootout goal. Budaj’s most recent start was a 4-1 loss against the Anaheim Ducks. This is largest goal deficit in a loss for the Lightning so far this season.
As the team progresses through the season, fans may be discouraged by Budaj’s performance. However, I feel that the reason Budaj may struggle at times is not due to his ability or talent.
Budaj proves time and time again why he has earned a spot on this team. When a goalie plays a couple of games every month, rust happens. The chance to play is not as frequent, and playing the game is the best way to become more confident between the posts.
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With a back-to-back series starting on Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks followed up by a visit to the Los Angeles Kings, the Tampa Bay Lightning will depend on Peter Budaj to perform at his best.