Bobrovsky is playing like the goaltender who won a pair of Vezina Trophies in 2013 and 2017
The expectations surrounding Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky have been tempered in the time since he first arrived with the club.
Bobrovsky was signed to a seven-year deal worth $70 million back in the summer of 2019.
At the time, Bob’s addition was viewed as the team setting itself up with high-quality goaltending for the foreseeable future, and paying a proper price for it.
Things haven’t quite worked out that way.
Bobrovsky’s tenure with the Panthers has been up and down, with segments of solid play mixed in with some not-so-great stretches.
To his credit, Bob’s best, most consistent time with the team came last season.
The final couple months of 2021-22 that bridged the regular season and the playoffs saw Bobrovsky provide the Panthers with a stable presence in the crease.
There has never been any question about Bobrovsky’s work ethic or dedication to the team. He’s one of the hardest-working players in the league, goalie or otherwise.
A ‘first one in, last one out’ kind of guy.
He’s incredibly athletic and agile, which allows him to make the sprawling, stretching saves that see him move from one side of the net to the other with relative ease.
The problem has been the lack of consistency and the low danger shots that trickle in.
Since reclaiming Florida’s starting job from AHL veteran Alex Lyon during the Cats’ opening-round comeback win over the Boston Bruins, Bobrovsky has appeared to be on top of his game.
“We're down three games to one (to Boston), the pressure needs to come back to the leaders,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said of the decision to go back to Bob. “Elimination games, Game 7s, are about the players, not the coaches. In his career, he’s proven to handle that pressure, but he also needs it. He needs to go into that net for our team, for our franchise, and be the deciding factor.
“Since then, he's been fantastic.”
For the first time this season, Bobrovsky has won four consecutive starts. Three of them came during elimination games against the Bruins.
He’s stopped 140 of 153 shots during the four-game streak for a .915 save percentage and 2.99 goals against average.
“He gives us huge confidence,” said Panthers winger Anthony Duclair. “He’s been playing so well, especially the past four games since he’s been in.”
While Bob’s play during Game 5 against Boston was sublime, a 44-save, season-extending performance that was a reminder of just how high his ceiling remains, it was Tuesday’s Game 1 in Toronto that the 34-year-old looked like the same goalie who won a pair of Vezina Trophies a decade ago.
Totonto’s expected goals during Game 1 was 4.46.
They scored two.
When giving credit to Florida’s perfect 4-for-4 effort on the penalty kill against the Maple Leafs, much of that deserves to go to Bobrovsky.
He stopped all nine of Toronto’s power play shots.
During Game 1, Bobrovsky made 13 high danger saves on 15 shots. Only of seven of those high danger shots came at even strength, to give you an idea of just how big he came up when the Panthers were killing penalties.
After the game, Bob, being the great and humble teammate that he is, was quick to credit his colleagues for their efforts while down a man.
“Our PK was dialed in,” he said. “Lots of good blocked shots, lots of good sticks.”
There’s an old hockey adage that a team’s goaltender needs to be its best penalty killer.
That was certainly true of Bobrovsky on Tuesday.
Looking at the game as a whole, outside of Totonto’s best scoring chances, Bob stopped every shot he faced.
That includes all nine shots of the medium danger variety and each of the 11 low danger looks sent his way.
“The back half that gave he was brilliant, and we required him to be,” said Maurice.
When he’s playing like this, he’s peak Bob.
Making spectacular saves is nothing new to him. It’s when he’s stopping everything else, when no cheapies or squeakers or low percentage sharp-angle shots find their way in the net, that Bobrovsky can reach his full potential.
One of his best saves that stood out during Game 1 came with just over a minute to go. Toronto sniper William Nylander was flying down the slot and Michael Bunting sent a perfect pass to Nylander’s tape at the top of the crease.
Bobrovsky slid from his right to his left, stretched out his left leg and got the bottom of his pad on the puck.
“The opponent sold a good shot and I thew my leg at it, and it hit my toe. It’s just lucky,” he said, briefly allowing a small grin to creep on his face before snapping back into the seriousness of postgame interviews.
Considering Bobrovsky’s track record since joining the Panthers, it’s anyone’s guess how long this latest run of excellent goaltending will last.
When on top of his game, Bob can be among the best puck-stoppers in the league.
That’s where he’s at right now.
“He's been awesome,” said Florida winger Nick Cousins. “He's seeing the puck really well and playing with lots of confidence.”
The longer Bobrovskly can ride this momentum, the better Florida’s chances at continuing their best postseason run since they shocked the world and reached the Stanley Cup Final all the way back in 1996.
Following Tuesday’s win, this is officially the team’s most successful postseason since that improbable trip to the Final.
In terms of the current season, it’s probably safe to say Florida is playing its best hockey of the year, top to bottom.
With the team performing at peak level and Bobrovsky looking like he’s back in his prime, the sky is the limit for this Panthers group.
“He’s our backbone back there,” said Duclair. “Anytime he makes those big saves, it gives us life on the bench and helps us to re-attack. When our goalie is confident like that, it makes our whole team confident.”