Sergei Bobrovsky playoff preparation a priority as Panthers plan final goalie rotation
Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz will each start a game this week, but after that the situation is fluid
The people in charge of making the NHL schedules did the Florida Panthers a favor this season.
Florida plays each of its final four games on home ice, which is a luxury that they’ll gladly take heading into the playoffs.
Now the Panthers, assuming they at least maintain a spot in the top two of the Atlantic Division, will not have to travel again until Games 3 and 4 of the first round, which won’t be for over two weeks.
Once the postseason arrives, it’s no secret that Florida will be rolling with Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes.
The veteran netminder has emerged as incredibly consistent in providing high-end goaltending for Florida, and it’s been that way for a couple years now.
Bob took his game to another level during last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs and the hope is that he’ll be able to reach that level once again this year.
With the goal in mind of having Bobrovsky in as good place – physically and mentally – as possible heading into the playoffs, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice is fortunate to be able to manage his goaltenders playing time over the final four games with that thought very much the driving force.
“We’ll alternate the next two,” Maurice said. “We’ll just stay in a rhythm, and then make a decision on the value of the Buffalo-Toronto series, if there is any value to it.”
Anthony Stolarz will start Tuesday against Ottawa which means Bobrovsky will face Columbus on Thursday.
That’s where the variable situations come into play.
Florida enters play on Tuesday trailing the Boston Bruins by five points in the Atlantic Division, with each team having four games left to play.
Looking the other way, the Panthers hold a three-point edge over the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place. Toronto has five games remaining after Monday’s overtime win over Pittsburgh.
The top two seeds will receive home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs, which begin on April 20.
Interestingly, the second and third seeds – currently Florida and Toronto – will play each other in round one, even if they swap positions.
Considering Toronto has a six-point cushion over fourth-place Tampa Bay in the Atlantic, there is a growing chance that a Panthers-Leafs postseason rematch could be in our future.
Bottom line is that there is a fair amount of fluidity with how Maurice and the Panthers will approach their final regular season games.
Do they want to secure the highest seed possible? Of course.
But at the same time, Maurice is well aware of how crucial a hot goaltender is to playoff success.
Making sure Bobrovsky is exactly where he wants to be, in terms of his preparations, when the postseason arrives is something Maurice and his staff will prioritize as much as they can.
“If we’re in striking distance (of Boston) then we’ll consider it, if we’ve got to close out (with wins to clinch) home ice, we’ll consider it, and if it doesn’t matter, then Bob will get what he needs to get ready for Game 1,” Maurice said.
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