For the second straight year, Sergei Bobrovsky has played a pivotal role in helping the Florida Panthers reach the Eastern Conference Final. If he can replicate his performance from last year’s sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, Bobrovsky and the Panthers could be headed back to the Stanley Cup Final.
That, however, is no small feat.
Bobrovsky was exceptional against the Hurricanes in last year’s Eastern Conference Final. During the four-game sweep, he allowed just over a goal per game (1.12) and stopped 97 percent of the shots he faced, including a shutout in Game 3.
Can he do it again? The Panthers believe so.
Bobrovsky is confident and ready. “It’s going to be a good challenge,” he said of facing the Rangers following Monday’s practice. “They have a good offense, a good defense. It’s going to be fun. This is a new game, a new opponent. You do not know what you’re going to face. It could be 30, 20, 10 shots. At the end of the day, it does not matter. We know our structure.”
Bobrovsky’s fortunes with the Panthers turned around last year when, after getting sick and losing his starting position to Alex Lyon, he reclaimed it midway through the first-round series against Boston and helped the Panthers advance. From there, he found his groove.
After three-plus years of inconsistent play following his signing of the richest contract in franchise history, Bobrovsky finally became the elite goalie the Panthers hoped for when they acquired him in 2019. Since that pivotal Boston series, Bobrovsky has been a stalwart in the Florida net.
“I would say, out of everyone on the team, I am happiest for his success,” said teammate Matthew Tkachuk. “He just works so hard. Coming to Florida, they were a very high offensive team. We were getting a lot, but giving up a lot. When we started to tighten up a little bit, you could see how much confidence he started to build. He is probably as good as he has been in his career.”
Bobrovsky’s heroics continued in Florida’s series win over the Bruins in the second round, holding Boston to a single goal in Florida’s 2-1 win in Game 6. Under intense pressure in the final minutes, Bobrovsky made several crucial saves.
Now, it’s time to face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Game 1 is on Wednesday.
“I enjoy the position I am in,” Bobrovsky said. “I thank God for the opportunity I have, to be able to play hockey for this team is a privilege. Being here and playing playoff hockey is a dream.”
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