Lyon played an integral role in Florida making the playoffs after starting the season in the AHL

The Florida Panthers wouldn’t be where they are now without Alex Lyon.

His late season heroics helped Florida squeak into the playoffs when Sergei Bobrovsky, the usual starter, became quite sick during a crucial road trip as the Cats entered the home stretch of the campaign.

Lyon, a 30-year-old veteran who was initially signed before the season to be the Panthers’ third goalie, was called upon in extreme circumstances to save the season, and he performed spectacularly.

He started each of Florida’s final eight games, boasting a tidy 1.87 goals against average and a .942 save percentage during the stretch.

Florida would go 6-1-1 while clinching the Eastern Conference’s eight-seed and punching their ticket to the postseason dance.

By Game 4 of the opening round series against the Boston Bruins, Bobrovsky was healthy, and the Panthers were in need of a spark.

Florida has gone on an amazing run since, winning 11 of 12 while steamrolling their way to the Stanley Cup Final.

Lyon has had a front row seat for all the action, and boy have there been some amazing moments, but don’t think he’s just sitting there enjoying the show.

A backup goalie’s job is to be ready to perform at the highest level without a moment’s notice. Certainly not an easy task.

But there is more to the job than just stopping pucks when called upon.

“You always try to be a positive influence, a positive source, especially as a guy in my role,” he said. “I have no liberties to be anything but that.”

Lyon has embraced his position since joining the Panthers in late February. It was then he learned that he’d be serving as the team’s backup for the duration of the season following Spencer Knight entering the NHL and NHLPA’s joint player assistance program.

Following his season-saving stretch in mid-April, Lyon has resumed the responsibilities of the backup goalie.

The only thing that changes about the job during the playoffs is the added pressure that comes with trying to succeed when it matters most.

“You just get a more heightened sense that if I’m called upon, it really matters,” Lyon said. “When you go in a game during the regular season, usually your team's down or it’s a weird situation or something like that, so there's a little bit more wiggle room, but when you're in a four-overtime game, you just don't know what's going to happen, so I'm just trying to stay ready.”

Everyone has different motivational tools and tactics.

For Lyon, it’s a simple emotion that has helped him stay sharp and prepared throughout Florida’s epic postseason run.

Fear.

“I hate to say fear, but I think goalies are largely, and any professional athletes, are driven out of fear,” Lyon explained. “You’ve got to have some respect and fear for the game, that if you're not ready, then that's when things go bad.”

Goaltenders will often practice the art of juggling as a way to sharpen their hand-eye coordination.

Lyon has apparently mastered a different kind of juggling.

“I’m just trying to stay around that kind of windowsill of fear and also confidence in my preparation…and also just not thinking about it all at the same time,” he said. “So it's like simultaneously being super aware and present, but also being super relaxed and staying in the moment. It’s difficult.”

Fortunately for Lyon, staying locked into his special brand of preparedness doesn’t hinder his ability to enjoy seeing a fellow goaltender playing absolutely lights out.

Like a fine wine, Bobrovsky has gotten better as the playoffs have aged.

It isn’t just the eye-popping stats that jump out and smack you in the face, it’s the high-end, elite saves that Bob is making look routine, the calm comfort in the crease that has kept the Panthers in close games and given the players confidence that if they make a mistake, Bobrovsky will bail them out.

“It’s one of the best runs ever,” Lyon said. “Every goalie goes through those times when they feel amazing and they get super hot and they're in a groove, but to do it in the playoffs, on the biggest stage, in the biggest moments, that takes just another level of consistency and focus. To do it game after game after game after game, it's extremely, extremely difficult.”

When speaking about his goaltending partner, Lyon is careful choosing his words though.

He knows Bobrovsky isn’t about personal accomplishments.

It’s all about the success of the team, the efforts of his teammates and what they can accomplish together.

“I hope at some point we can have this conversation after the season's over and I can heap mountains of praise on him, but right now, out of respect for him, I know that he would just want me to stay the course, so I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves,” Lyon said.