Crunch goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is growing into his new life in the United States after making the move from Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League to follow his dream of playing in the NHL.

Teammate and fellow goalie Kristers Gudlevskis said he’s empathetic to the growing pains his partner is going through. He made the same move a year ago.

“It’s all different,” he said. “Not hockey, but life and the place. Different people, everything’s different.”

But while the pair fights for playing time in what’s currently a 50-50 split between the pipes, the goalies also speak Russian to each other, giving Vasilevskiy a level of comfort that’s helped bring them together off the ice. They arrive early to practice each morning before often staying afterward to work in the gym, Crunch head coach Rob Zettler said.

The Crunch heads into a three-game road trip that starts Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Worcester Sharks and continues at the Portland Pirates on Saturday night at 7 and at the Sprinfield Falcons on Sunday at 3 p.m. with both goalies available and driving each other.

“I think the two of them provide a healthy competition for each other and they kind of thrive off each other’s work ethic and it’s up to us as a staff to monitor that and make sure they’re not overdoing it,” he said.

He said the commitment stems not only from the competition, but a mutual drive to get better. Vasilevskiy, 20, is a top goalie prospect and was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft – a year before Gudlevskis, 22, was taken in the fifth round.

Each has played in two games this season. Gudlevskis is 1-1-0 with four goals allowed and a .940 save percentage. Vasileskiy is 1-0-0 — overtime losses aren’t reflected in a goalie’s record — having allowed six goals and recording a .893 save percentage. Both credited the split in time for allowing extra rest and an ability to expend more energy when they are on the ice.

“If you don’t have a second good goalie it’s bad because you can’t rest,” Vasilevskiy said.

Both said winning is more important than playing time to them and Zettler said it’s truly an even competition, calling it choice between No. 1 and 1A.

“Both these guys are down here for a reason,” Zettler said. “They’re not perfect. They’re working on their craft and goaltending coach Dave Alexander has done a great job with identifying the skills they have to work on.”

While the two continue to work in the rink, Vasilevskiy also works on adjusting to American life. He said the thought of staying in Russia did enter his mind, but he knew he wanted to make his way to the NHL.

He’s here now and is taking the new experience in stride.

Said Vasilevskiy: “I think I need a couple months or a couple years to get used to it.”

Published on October 24, 2014 at 10:47 am