Sergei Bobrovsky is giving the Florida Panthers a fighting chance

Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO, Ont. – The $10 million man has been anything but that since joining the Florida Panthers in 2019-20. But now, the retro Sergei Bobrovsky seems to be back – and right at the perfect time.

Of the 30 active goaltenders from 2011-22 with at least 15 games played, Bobrovsky’s .903 postseason save percentage was dead last. Over the past three years, his 0.15 5-on-5 goals saved above average was 13th out of 19 goalies with at least 10 games played. Bobrovsky didn’t do himself any favors the past few years, that’s for sure.

Bobrovsky hasn’t managed anything better than a .913 save percentage during the regular season, and had just a .901 this year. He was downright awful during the 2021 playoffs and was completely outdueled by Andrei Vasilevskiy last season.

But finally, things might be looking up for the 34-year-old.

Bobrovsky’s surface-level stats might not be anything special right now. But if you’ve watched the Panthers recently, it’s clear: he’s a huge reason why the Cats are still fighting. After losing the starting gig to third-stringer Alex Lyon, Bobrvosky was called in for Game 4 of the first round against the Boston Bruins but ultimately lost that contest. Surprisingly at the time, coach Paul Maurice elected to start him again the next game, and he delivered with 44 stops in an OT victory. Bobrovsky won the final two games to help lift the Panthers to the second round, marking a miraculous comeback for the ages.

Bobrovsky stopped 34 shots on Tuesday in a Game 1 win over Toronto to keep the little streak going. It’s the first time Bobrovsky has won four times in a row this season, and they’ve easily been the four most important wins. He might not be the reason why the Panthers secured a playoff spot in the end, but he’s doing whatever it takes to keep the dream alive.

Through six outings, which included a brief relief effort, Bobrovsky has a .933 save percentage and 1.46 goals saved above average at 5-on-5. Both are significantly better than his compadre at the other end, Ilya Samsonov, who boasts a .900 SP and minus-3.72 GSAA. Given Florida’s opponents, Officer Bobrvosky has been busy, as expected. So while his regular stats aren’t great, the advanced analytics play more into his favor. And the reality is: Bobrovsky is winning when it matters.

“I’m staying with the moment and I don’t really think about where my game is,” Bobrovsky said. “I’m enjoying playing playoff hockey, enjoying being part of this great group of guys and just fortunate to be here.”

Toronto’s expected goals during Game 1 was 4.46, but they only got two past Bobrovsky. The team in front of him deserve some credit for how they killed penalty after penalty, but Bobrovsky – who made a few incredible saves of his own – was on the top of his game.

“He was unbelievable (in Game 1),” forward Sam Bennett said. “He’s been great every game that he came in. It’s awesome to see. That’s what we need out of him, and he’s stepped up.”

But they’ll need him to be excellent at least three more times in this series. On paper, the Leafs still look like the more loaded team, and they’re the higher seed. Florida should expect a much stronger effort from Toronto over the next few nights as the Leafs look to shake off the second-round cobwebs

Bobrovsky’s best NHL days are well behind him, no question about it. But it seems like he’s relishing in the opportunity right now. The Panthers made a bold decision to go with Lyon to start the first round and it didn’t pay off. But now with Bobrovsky at the helm, there seems to be a bit of optimism in the Panthers’ camp right now. Everyone was all smiles after the Game 1 win, with most players crediting their goaltender for making that win possible.

But the journey has only just begun, and Bobrovsky can’t slip if the Panthers are going to pull off another surprise series victory.

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Sergei Bobrovsky is giving the Florida Panthers a fighting chance

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