SALT LAKE CITY — Lightning goaltender Brandon Halverson made his first NHL start Saturday against the Utah Hockey Club, more than seven years after his first and previously only league appearance.
Halverson stopped 19 of 24 shots in Tampa Bay’s 6-4 loss. Two other apparent Utah goals were overturned following successful challenges by the Lightning. Utah’s final goal was scored into an empty net.
With the Lightning playing the first of back-to-back road games, Halverson was summoned from AHL Syracuse Saturday morning after Jonas Johansson left the team’s three-game trip to attend to a family matter. Andrei Vasilevskiy will start Sunday at Vegas.
“Richly deserved, a long time coming for him,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of Halverson. “He’s really battled to get to this spot. J.J. has had a family matter he’s going to take care of, so he’s gone home for the rest of the road trip and Halvy will be with us.”
The trip marks Halverson’s second stint with the Lightning after a breakout season in Syracuse. The 28-year-old dressed as Vasilevskiy’s backup in early February while Johansson dealt with a groin injury.
Halverson, a second-round draft pick of the Rangers in 2014, played 12:33 for New York in relief of Henrik Lundqvist on Feb. 17, 2018.
After a winding journey that saw him out of pro hockey due to injuries, leaving him working on the Pepin family farm in Tampa, Halverson received an opportunity with an ECHL contract last season with Orlando.
He dominated with the Solar Bears, earning a promotion to Syracuse, where he shined in the AHL playoffs. He became the Crunch’s No. 1 goaltender this season, unseating Matt Tomkins. He is 16-9-11 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.32 goals-against average.
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Eduardo A. Encina is a sports reporter covering the Tampa Bay Lightning. Reach him at eencina@tampabay.com.
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