In a tightly contested Eastern Conference final, Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky have been solid in net. But one of them has the edge any day, says Adam Proteau.

There’s no question the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers have received solid goaltending en route to the NHL's Eastern Conference final. 

Blueshirts star Igor Shesterkin and Panthers counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky have given their respective teams a chance to win, night in and night out. 

Bobrovsky recorded his best save percentage and goals-against average in the regular season since he joined the Panthers, and he's been pretty dependable during the playoffs. He's only allowed more than two goals in three games this post-season. He's a Vezina Trophy finalist this season for good reason.

Shesterkin, meanwhile, had a relatively shaky start to the regular season but rebounded in a big way. He's been a stalwart for the Rangers for years.

TheHockeyNews.com's Michael Traikos and Jacob Stoller were divided on which goalie has the edge right now. But if you’re asking this writer, it’s as clear as day which team benefits most from their goaltending.

It’s the Rangers and Shesterkin, all day, every day, until something dramatic changes.

Of course, in saying that, we’re not criticizing Bobrovsky. Although, if we’re being honest, Bobrovsky’s $10-million salary cap hit casts him in somewhat of a different light. As Florida’s top-paid player (tied with captain Aleksander Barkov), Bobrovsky is expected to steal some games for the Panthers. 

Meanwhile, Shesterkin’s relatively paltry $5.6-million salary is an incredible bargain for the Rangers. At the end of next season, Shesterkin will likely double his current annual payday, and he’ll be worth every penny the Rangers give to him.

But as it stands, Shesterkin’s .923 post-season save percentage is significantly better than Bobrovsky’s .904 SP. Though Bobrovsky’s 2.29 goals-against average is slightly better than Shesterkin’s 2.38 GAA, the eye test tells us Shesterkin is the better of the two. The Panthers have outshot the Rangers 131-100 through the first four games of the series and have only outscored them 11-9. Anything less than Shesterkin's provided so far, and this series likely wouldn't be as deadlocked as it is right now.

Also in Shesterkin’s favor is his age: at 28, he’s seven years younger than Bobrovsky.  Shesterkin is still in the early years of his prime, helped out certainly by a strong Rangers core. While Bobrovsky's played quite well right now, he's still past his prime years with Columbus, and that age factor does cause some uncertainty.

For our money, Shesterkin is the best goalie still active in this season’s NHL playoffs – better than Dallas’ Jake Oettinger, better than Bobrovsky and certainly better than Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner.

The Panthers can still get outstanding performances from Bobrovsky and go on to win the Eastern final. But after nearly three rounds of action, it’s obvious who the top netminder is. Shesterkin is 'The Man' regarding goaltenders, and that’s not likely to change as the Rangers pursue their first Cup in three decades.