Bobrovsky has provided consistent, elite goaltending for a Florida team aiming for a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final

Like a fine wine, Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky seems to be getting better with age.

The 35-year-old Novokuznetsk, Russia native is in his fifth season with Florida and in his 14th in the NHL.

He's currently playing some of the best hockey of his career and putting up numbers better than anything he's done in his 30s.

That's generally not the case with hockey goalies.

Similarly with most positions in professional sports, age isn't kind to goaltenders.

Getting older means getting slower, which is counterproductive for what goalies are asked to do over and over and over: stopping hockey pucks that are coming at incredibly high speeds and from all kinds of angles.

Between Bobrovsky's incredible, unmatched work ethic and his God given abilities, he's managed to maintain playing at peak NHL levels while, somehow, he's seemingly hit another gear over the past couple of years.

"I feel good," Bobrovsky told THN Florida earlier this week. "The body feels great. It's probably the best I have ever felt. I've been working all my life, so hard, and it's great to feel that the pieces are coming together. We have a great team, I have a great, balanced life, not only in hockey but also outside of hockey. Every piece gives me energy for another piece."

Bob's ascending play may seem confounding to those of us watching from the outside, but for the people who work closely with him every day, there isn't much surprise.

Age is only a number, and Bobrovsky's hard work goes a long way toward making that number as inconsequential to his career as possible.

"I think there's a chance he keeps getting better, which would be unusual, right?" said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. "Usually, as we get to that certain age in our career, we think we've learned everything, and he's at a point where he's still putting an awful lot of time, not just in maintenance, but also in growth, changing his routine, trying to find a way to get better."

It's much more than just a work ethic, though.

There is a certain level of discipline in the dedication shown day in and day out by Bobrovsky. From maintaining a proper diet to making sure he gets the right amount of sleep to his daily workout and maintenance routine, there is a method to Bobrovsky's madness, one that, as Maurice indicated, is ever-evolving.

"As you get older, you get more experience, you get, I would say, a better mind," said Bobrovsky. "And as long as you take care of your body, it's more fun for me to play hockey now."

That's the other thing.

While Bobrovsky is playing some of the best hockey of his extensive career, he's also having an incredible amount of fun while doing so.

He may seem locked-in and laser-focused during games, but catch Bob during a Panthers practice and you'll see him having as good of a time as anyone on the ice, cracking jokes and engaging with his teammates, smiling so wide its apparent even with his goalie mask on.

"Everybody works hard, but if you add a little piece of fun, it makes things lighter," said Bobrovsky. "Practice goes easier, and you can achieve the same goals."

That mature, well-rounded approach to the game isn't just benefitting Bob.

It helps the team playing in front of him to be free and fully confident in their goaltender, and it helps fellow goalie Anthony Stolarz, the 30-year-old backup enjoying his best season in the NHL.

Florida signed Anthony Stolarz during the offseason to lighten Bobrovsky's load and help keep him fresh for the playoffs.

Stolarz, in turn, has turned in a spectacular season to this point, putting up numbers even better than Bobrovsky while helping Florida become one of the NHL's top teams.

"Having him as a mentor has been huge for me," said Stolarz. "He's been someone I can lean on, ask questions with, he keeps it real, keeps it loose on the ice, and keeps it fun. He's always working hard, so I tried to match his work ethic, and we just try to push each other. The support he gives me, the laughs that we have, it's a special relationship. I think that's why we've been able to have so much success, just because we've been able to feed off each other, and it also helps us to have a pretty good team that's committed defensively in front of us. At the end of the day, I think he's made me a better goalie."

Fun fact: When Bobrovsky was traded by Philadelphia to Columbus, the Flyers used one of the Blue Jackets' draft picks they received in the deal to draft Stolarz.

Now the two are teammates and getting along famously while helping the Panthers become one of the stingiest teams in the league.

"He's an awesome guy and a great goalie," Bobrovsky said of Stolarz. "We have a good relationship, and it's helpful for the team, too. It's great to see him succeed, and I support him and help him when I'm not in the net."

"It's just funny how it comes full circle," said Stolarz.

Indeed.

Despite Father Time seemingly working against him, it appears Bobrovsky, against all odds, is reaching a level few see in their mid-to-late 30s.

A big part of that is the perfect storm of Bob's work ethic and self-maintenance, the amazingly talented team he plays for, and the style that his team plays.

"We put him in a position that he can be as good as he can be," said Maurice. "We defend pretty hard in front of him. But both of our goaltenders, especially in the last stretch, have been exceptional in their performance. I don't know what the answer is into how many years he can add to his career because of his performance, but what you could say is that he's playing, in my mind, as well as he's played in his career, and we're gonna give him the opportunity to continue to do that."

The only question that remains is just how far Bobrovsky and the Panthers will reach.

They are as set up as anyone to make another run at the Stanley Cup after coming within three wins of it last June.

With multiple Vezina Trophy wins and All-Star selections under his belt, there remains one big mountain to climb regarding professional success for Bob.

Does Bobrovsky badly want to win the Stanley Cup? Of course he does.

He’s just not too keen on talking about it, at least not yet.

“You know, I don't want to think too much right now about that,” Bobrovsky said. “It's the end of the way, it's the ultimate goal I think for every hockey player, but I don't want to think too big. I'm just approaching it one day at the time. It's a hard trophy to win, and there is no warranty or insurance, anything could happen. In other words, I'm not trying to think future and think about the Stanley Cup, I want to live right now and enjoy this moment, savor this moment. I'm in the NHL, on a great team with great teammates, and I want to take the advantage of this moment. When we get there, we get there. This moment is the most important for me.”

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