Bobrovsky and Nedeljkovic Talk About Epic Goalie Fight. ‘What Did I Do?’

SUNRISE — It has been six years since the NHL has seen two goalies drop the mitts (glove, blocker, whatever) and get into a fight yet that is what happened Monday when Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Nedeljkovic got into a fight during the third period.

Paul Maurice joked that Bobrovsky — the future Hall of Famer — had an “emotional outlet” after giving up three goals within a span of about 6 minutes during the second period in an eventual 4-1 loss.

“He probably felt he needed one,’’ Maurice continued.

Regardless, the Panthers dug it.

So did the Sharks.

It did not seem that Nedeljkovic thought Bobrovsky would sprint up the ice to challenge the San Jose netminder when he jumped into a scrum and started hammering Evan Rodrigues behind the Sharks’ net during a scrum.

Did not seem that he minded it, either.

“I didn’t see much of anything, then I heard a couple of guys yelling ‘Ned!’ and I turned around and Bob was right there,” said Nedeljkovic. “That was about it. I was just trying not to get punched. I tried to throw one of my own, and not look like too big of a fool doing it. I didn’t go into that expecting to fight.’’

Bobrovsky had never been in an official NHL fight per HockeyFights.com, and, it does not seem that he is of mind to jump into one again.

But the Panthers loved it.

Well, Maurice did not.

But that’s because he wants his starting goalie to use those hands to make saves and not throw down.

Only Bobrovsky seemed to enjoy the fracas.

“Entertaining, right?” he told FHN in a lighthearted moment after his media scrum ended.

Yeah man, it was.

So, how did this all go down?

After Vincent Desharnais – who mixed it up with Tkachuk in the first period — tripped Mackie Samoskevich in the corner, Rodrigues put the defenseman into the boards.

Nedeljkovic did not like that and went after Rodrigues.

Bobrovsky saw it, and similarly, did not like that.

“I felt that was a little too much over the line,” Bobrovsky said. “I wanted to make sure to get in, to let him know. I made a decision, and went right into it. It was exciting, but obviously not something I do for a living.”

With Nedeljkovic and Rodrigues wrapped up, Bobrovsky left the crease like a jet, skating all the way across the ice — tossing down his gloves as he got into the San Jose zone.

He shouted at the opposing goalie and, Nedeljkovic agreed to go.

Bobrovsky tore off Nedeljkovic’s mask and started throwing.

By the end of it, both goalies were without masks and gloves.

The two tumbled to the ice.

“Honestly, it was kind of a bullshit play,’’ Nedeljkovic said of Rodrigues boarding Desharnais. “The play was over, he tripped him, didn’t hit him hard. Didn’t hit him at all. Just tripped him. And then Rodrigues comes in late. The whistle already went. Vinnie was in a defenseless spot. Yeah, he’s a big guy, but he didn’t even have the puck. There’s no justification for it. For me, there was enough for me to do something.’’

When it was all said and done, Bobrovsky headed down the tunnel and handed the reigns to Daniil Tarasov with a hearty hug thinking he was ejected with 14 minutes left in a 3-1 game.

Only the officials decided that since Nedeljkovic was already fighting Rodrigues, Bobrovsky would not be charged for a cross-ice skate looking for some action and was allowed to return.

It took a few minutes, with the refs asking the Panthers to either get Bobrovsky back on the ice or put Tarasov in.

Florida stalled.

Tkachuk was happy they did.

“I couldn’t believe that. The best goalie in the world is doing that? It’s pretty incredible,” Tkachuk said.

“We know what he has meant to our team since I have been here, and he just added another part of his game. The building was rocking, loudest I have heard. It was really cool. Probably the only highlight of the game.”

Once things resumed, the Panthers came out with their collective hair on fire.

Nedeljkovic said he regretted his decision to throw down with Bobrovsky what with the reaction of both the Panthers and the crowd.

“They were going to have a big reaction, but everybody loves a goalie fight,” Nedeljkovic said. “Him coming back out like the Undertaker, that was probably one of the loudest buildings I have ever been in. That was kind of like an ‘Oh crap, what I did I do?’ moment. What giant did I wake up. But we stuck with it.”

In the end, the goalie fight did not spurn the Panthers on to a bigger and better outcome.

Although the brawl energized both teams, neither goalie relented.

San Jose’s 3-1 lead stuck, with Barclay Goodrow — a Florida rival from his Tampa Bay days — ending things into an empty net late in the third.

Regardless of what went down, it was a lot of fun.

Those Panthers fans who decided to stick around after San Jose’s 3-run second were rewarded with something fun — and unique.

Nedeljkovic thought he had been charged with a fight back in his Detroit days but, no, this was his first official 5-minute major.

Regardless.

“I got him down,” he said. “That’s all you have to say.’’

As for Bobrovsky, No. 72 already has won the Vezina Trophy twice with Columbus and the Stanley Cup twice with the Panthers.

If nothing else, he can add a fight to his resume.

“Yeah, first one,” Bobrovsky said.

As for the crowd reaction?

“That was exciting, for sure,’’ he said. “That was, it was great. That was emotional. I didn’t know it would be that much. But yeah, it was a good feeling.’’

ON DECK: GAME 49

FLORIDA PANTHERS AT WINNIPEG JETS 

• When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
• Where: Canada Life Center; Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last season: Tied 1-1
• This season — At Florida: Jan. 31. At Winnipeg: Thursday.
• All-time regular season series: Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets lead 55-32-8, 5 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday at Minnesota Wild, 9 p.m.