George Richards, FHN Publisher
When the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning met in the playoffs last year, the starting goalies were a huge part of the equation.
That was good for the Lightning, not so much for the Panthers.
Florida hopes that changes in this series.
Tampa Bay did not get the perfect series out of Andrei Vasilevskiy in last year’s 4-2 series win — but he was good enough.
He even tossed a shutout in the deciding game.
Sticking with baseball, the Panthers basically threw a bullpen series.
They started with Sergei Bobrovsky, went to Chris Driedger only to come back to Bobrovsky — with Driedger coming in once more.
By the time the series was over, rookie Spencer Knight was in net and Bobrovsky was not even on the bench.
Things appear to be different for the Panthers this series.
Bobrovsky, who obviously was ticked off with how his season came to an ceremonious end last year, has been strong all season for the Panthers.
He has been very good in the playoffs to date, leading the Panthers to a 4-2 series win against the Capitals.
The goalies, as they always are, will be a big storyline in this playoff matchup.
Florida feels pretty good about what it has.
The Lightning does as well.
“Two great goalies, two of the elite goalies in the league,” Florida coach Andrew Brunette said. “Bob is looking forward to the challenge and so are we.”
When it comes to which goalie has an edge, it is obviously going to Vasilevskiy and the Lightning.
After all, Tampa Bay is the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and Vasilevskiy has done a lot of the work to get the Lightning there.
“He is just a monster in the net. He is so big,” said Ben Chiarot, whose Montreal Canadiens lost to the Lightning in the 2021 Cup Final. “He takes up so much of the net so when you’re shooting on him, it doesn’t look like there are too many holes. He’s another one, a top goalie in the league. We’ll have our work cut out for us with him.”
Vasilevskiy may still be at the top of his game — just watch Saturday night’s Game 7 against Toronto — but he is not the boogeyman to the Panthers he once was.
The Panthers have been stoned by Vasilevskiy in the past (he has a career-best three shutouts against Florida in his career and a lifetime 2.89 GAA) but they have also gotten to him in the recent past.
In the playoffs last year, Florida scored four goals against Vasilevskiy in three games; this season, they are averaging over three goals per game against him.
“Huge challenge, obviously, same as Toronto,” Vasilevskiy told reporters Monday, per the Tampa Bay Times.
“Just super-talented in front and a high-scoring team. It’ll be a big challenge for us. I thought we were pretty good against Toronto, even though they still scored a lot. Going to have to play D, I guess, more. I’ll have to step up, as well.
“As you saw against Toronto, many goals were scored because I couldn’t see anything. I’m pretty sure that was the game plan for them, to get in front. They did a pretty good job of it. Blocking shots from our guys is such a huge help for me. That’s why we gave up just one goal in Game 7. We have to keep doing that.”
Florida knows how good Vasilevskiy is and understands how strong Tampa’s defense is in front of him.
But they have solved him in the past and, with the firepower they are bringing to the table in this series, figure they can do so again.
“He is a good goalie. He is big, he is able to get square on pucks and make big saves,” Sam Bennett said. “We know how good a goalie he is. We’re definitely going to look to get lots of traffic in front of him. … He is human, like everyone else. You can put the puck past him just like any other goalie. We are aware of how good he is, but we’re aware he can be scored on as well.”
Bobrovsky, meanwhile, has not seen the Lightning very much this season as he played in just one of the four games.
And, it wasn’t a very good one: Tampa Bay scored six against Bobrovsky on 40 shots.
Still, he had their number in 2019 when he helped the Blue Jackets pull off one of the great first-round upsets in playoff history with a first-round sweep.
Bobrovsky is playing as well as he has all season, and that gives the Panthers confidence moving forward as well.
“He is a good goalie and that is just the best way to put it,”Chiarot said. “As long as we let him see it, he is going to make the save. He gives us confidence back there, knowing he is going to make the save when we need it.”
NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
PANTHERS V. LIGHTNING
- Game 1: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
- Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
- TV/Streaming: TNT
- Radio: WQAM 560 (Miami/Fort Lauderdale); WMEN 640 (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3 (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Tickets: CLICK HERE
PANTHERS V. LIGHTNING
- Regular season series — Tied 2-2: Florida 4, @Lightning 1 (Oct. 19); @Lightning 3, Florida 2 OT (Nov. 13); @Florida 9, Lightning 3 (Dec 30); Tampa Bay 8, @Florida 4 (April 24).
- All-time regular season series: Panthers lead 73-49-18, 10 ties
- Playoff history: Second meeting; Tampa Bay d. Florida 4-2 in R1, 2021
- Round 1: Florida d. Washington 4-2; Tampa Bay d. Toronto 4-3
- Full schedule — Game 1: Tampa Bay at Florida (TNT), 7; Game 2: Tampa Bay at Florida, Thursday, 7 (TNT); Game 3: Florida at Tampa Bay, Sunday, 1:30 (TNT); Game 4: Florida at Tampa Bay, Monday, 7 (TNT); Game 5*: Tampa Bay at Florida, Wednesday, May 25 (Time, TV TBA); Game 6*: Florida at Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday, May 27 (Time, TV TBA); Game 7*: Tampa Bay at Florida, Sunday, May 29 (Time, TV TBA). (*) — If necessary.