Bobrovsky Cannot Bail Out Florida Panthers Against Hurricanes

SUNRISE — Sergei Bobrovsky had about as good a game as a goalie could for the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, yet, it was not enough to leave the ice with a win.

Thursday should have been a win for Bobrovsky and the Panthers, only the Carolina Hurricanes got a couple of weird goals — not to mention one into an empty net in the final seconds — to pull out a 3-1 win.

Of the two goals Bobrovsky was credited with giving up, one went off Sasha Barkov 35 seconds into the game, and the game-winner came when he was pinned to the ice by Carolina’s Jesperi Kotkeniemi late in the third.

“It sucks,’’ Gus Forsling said. “Bob had an unreal game, and then to see that goal? Whatever. We’re not going to complain about it, but it is what it is.”

Bobrovsky, passing John ‘The Beezer’ Vanbiesbrouck for second all-time in games played by a Florida goalie, ended his night with a season-high 37 saves.

The Panthers trailed 1-0 when Brent Burns sent a sharp-angled shot from the halfwall that clipped Barkov and went over Bobrovsky’s shoulder less than a minute into the game.

Bobrovsky kept the Panthers in it as they appeared to be skating off the affects of a New Year’s party that went deep into Wednesday, Carolina peppering the Florida goalie with 15 shots before Florida got off its second.

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The Panthers got their legs back after Maurice berated them on the bench with one of his patented ‘they looked like they needed some expletives in their lives’ motivational speech, tying the score at 1 early in the second on a great play started by Evan Rodrigues up against the backboards.

Rodrigues got the puck, fed it to Jesper Boqvist in the right circle with Anton Lundell finishing it with a slick backhanded flip over Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov.

It looked like the Panthers were back in business, only they could not get anything more past Kochetkov no matter how hard they tried.

Carolina made it 2-1 with 7:30 left in the game, Jaccob Slavin taking advantage of an open net with Bobrovsky stuck on the ice with Kotkaniemi draped all over him.

Kotkaniemi slid into Bobrovsky, but instead of crawling out and getting back into the play, he was jumped by Matthew Tkachuk.

No whistle blew, and the play went on.

Bobrovsky was trapped, and Slavin fired off a rebound into the net.

Florida begged for a goalie interference call, but it was not to come.

Tkachuk kept Kotkaniemi on the ice, so, it was the Panthers problem that Bobrovsky was on the ice — and not Carolina’s fault.

“We fell into the goalie, but then can’t get out,’’ Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said afterward.

“If the first shot goes in, maybe that doesn’t count. But there was plenty of time for, one, to let him out, and two, get set. It was the right call, obviously, because they didn’t even challenge it. It may have been the break we needed.”

It was, indeed, the break Carolina needed.

And Maurice did not challenge the non-call because referee Kyle Rehman announced why it was not goalie interference when he called it a good goal.

“There,’’ Maurice said, “was no point in a challenge.”

Maurice did not blame the officiating for Thursday’s loss, not after not one but both linesmen got shaken up during the third period.

“You know what? The referees had a tough game. One of them had to leave the game,” Maurice said. “There was a lot of action going on out there and they did the best they can. I’m not complaining about the refereeing.’’

As for Bobrovsky, Thursday was one of those nights goalies go through.

There are games where goalies give up five goals and get a win; then there are nights like Thursday.

To paraphrase Forsling, it sucks, but it is what it is.

“Bob’s a good pro, good player,” Maurice said with a bit of a smirk.

“He’s had a lot of nights where he’s been the difference for us. Tough one tonight for him, but he played very well so he gets to come to the rink proud tomorrow, but he was prepped. He was ready.”

The Panthers did not look sharp early and simply could not get anything through after Lundell’s goal in the second.

“We weren’t ready to play hockey at the start,” Maurice said. “Historically, Carolina will either start fast or have a 10-minute block where they throw a lot at the net. They did that, and then we righted the ship.

“It was a really good hockey game. After [the start] I liked how we played, how we generated. We got it back to a solid game.’’

ON DECK: GAME No. 40

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Friday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise 
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• National TV: NHL Network
• Streaming: Panthers+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Season Series (Penguins Lead 1-0) — At Florida: Friday; March 23. At Pittsburgh: Penguins 5, Panthers 4 OT (Dec. 3).
• Last Season: Panthers won 3-0
• All-time Regular Season Series: Penguins lead 57-38-8, 4 ties
• All-time Playoff Series: Florida d. Pittsburgh 4-3, 1996 Eastern Conference finals
• Up Next for the Panthers: Monday at Colorado Avalanche, 9 p.m.