The most intriguing part of the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers Eastern Conference Final matchup will be the two goaltenders. Stan Fischler On Rangers Cup Chances You can make the argument that Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky are the top goalies in the NHL, so their head-to-head matchup in the conference finals is significant. Shesterkin has been phenomenal for the Rangers since winning the Vezina Trophy back during the 2021-22 season. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=475mPEdFpCs[/embed] Through this year, Shesterkin recorded a 36-17-2 record, 2.58 goals against average and .913 save percentage to go along with four shutouts. The 28-year-old really started to heat up towards the end of the regular season, which carried into the playoffs, helping propel the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals. Meanwhile, Bobrovsky is coming off a playoff last year where his outstanding play pave the way for the Panthers to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbchyrWXiq0[/embed] This season Bobrovsky held a 36-17-4 record, 2.37 goals against average, .915 save and six shutouts. He was also named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy along with Connor Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko. While both the Rangers and Panthers have a lot of firepower on the offensive and defensive side of the puck, these two teams rely heavily on the play of their star goaltenders. Shesterkin and Bobrovsky elevate their individual game in the playoffs and now they go up against each other in what is really a clash of the titans. The winner of this series could very well be dictated by which goaltender plays better. Expect a low scoring series as Shesterkin and Bobrovsky are nearly impossible to figure out and when they catch fire, good luck getting the puck past them. If you’re a fan of top-notch goaltending, tune into the Rangers and Panthers Eastern Conference Final matchup.
