Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky speaks after Florida's 4-3 win over Edmonton on June 13. You may not have heard, but this week is NHL Goalie Week. The creative people over at NHL Social will be celebrating goaltending all week, and THN Florida is joining in on the fun! To kick things off this week we're going to start with something simple. Something that, a couple years ago, may have seemed like a wild and crazy concept. It's a Sergei Bobrovsky appreciation post! It's funny how much things can change in a few short seasons. Bob's tenue with the Panthers began a big rocky after he signed a massive seven-year, $70 million contract during the summer of 2019. The expectations that came with the giant deal were not initially met, as Florida's high-flying rush game wasn't particularly conducive to Bobrovsky's athletic, big push, first save setup style. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] During those first few years, when the game tightened up during the playoffs, Bobrovsky seemed to step up and play better. Things began to really click for Bob in South Florida when the Panthers hired Head Coach Paul Maurice and the team began transitioning to a physically demanding, aggressive, five-man defending style that allowed Bobrovsky to focus on making the first save and allowing his teammates to clean up any messes left behind. The results have spoken for themselves. Despite being in his mid-30s, Bobrovsky has reemerged as one of the NHL's elite netminders. [gallery ids="864,865,866,867,868,869,870,871,872,873,874,565,875,876,877,878"] He was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season and just had two of the best postseason performances in recent memory, capped off by Florida's Stanley Cup Championship earlier this summer. At this point, it seems like a solid bet that Bobrovsky will end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame someday. Let's all take a moment and celebrate Sergei Bobrovsky and what he's accomplished as a member of the Florida Panthers. Below you'll find a few videos to help with the appreciation exercise. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3z_NT0qTMY[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbchyrWXiq0[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0V3FbSMWrM[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bWp5gicKwU[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngtAYdoiFCg[/embed] LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Stanley Cup returns to South Florida, visits youth players to Dmitry Kulikov and golfs with Ryan Lomberg, Brooks Koepka [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/stanley-cup-returns-to-south-florida-visits-youth-players-to-dmitry-kulikov-and-golfs-with-ryan-lomberg-brooks-koepka] Setting the odds on which Panthers player will lead the team in points [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/setting-the-odds-on-which-panthers-player-will-lead-the-team-in-points] Clutch winger Carter Verhaeghe is integral part of Panthers' championship core [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/clutch-winger-carter-verhaeghe-is-integral-part-of-panthers-championship-core] Roberto Luongo eats poutine out of Stanley Cup during special day in Quebec hometown [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/roberto-luongo-eats-poutine-out-of-stanley-cup-during-special-day-in-quebec-hometown] Photo posted by Anthony Duclair sparks debate on player grooming rules [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/photo-posted-by-anthony-duclair-sparks-debate-on-player-grooming-rules] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
