George Richards, FHN Publisher
Sergei Bobrovsky has accomplished many things in his 13 seasons in the National Hockey League, but Saturday night when he leads the Florida Panthers onto the ice in Las Vegas, he will be playing in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time.
Bobrovsky has come a long way, both literally and figuratively, to get to this moment.
He hails from Novokuznetsk, Russia — which is in southwest Siberia — and is now one of the highest paid players in the NHL, living the very good life in Fort Lauderdale.
Aside from the big house near the water and the Lamborghini that he drives, Bobrovsky is finally at a point in his career where he can see the finish line to what he has been chasing for years.
Bobrovsky, the only active goalie to win the Vezina Trophy twice, now has a chance to win the Stanley Cup and truly cement his place in the history books.
“These two months have been an unbelievable experience,” Bobrovsky said earlier this week in the Florida dressing room.
“That’s our goal, but you have no idea what is going to happen. You have to enjoy the hockey. This is the best hockey ever and it reminds you of how hard you work to get here. There are so many good teams out of the playoffs and we’re still alive.”
Speaking with Florida Hockey Now and the Associated Press, Bobrovsky touched on a number of subjects from getting his starting job back during the playoffs, his mental approach toward the game as well as rumors about drilling holes in his skates and all the weight he loses during games.
First, the story about the weight.
Following the Panthers win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, some online stories started popping up that Bobrovsky lost close to 20 pounds of water weight during that game.
While his weight does fluctuate during games and he does need recovery time afterward, Bobrovsky said that number was a touch on the high side.
“No, that’s not true. I never lost 20 pounds,” Bobrovsky said. “I lost a lot more earlier in my career but it has been a lot more consistent now. The body supports the mind and the mind supports the body.
“There is a time for everything. There is time for quiet where you maintain your body and the mechanics and in the game, you don’t think about your body. You just follow the puck, you feel the game and go with the flow.”
Which leads to the rumor that he sweats so much during these playoffs that the team’s training staff had to drill holes into his skates so it could drain out.
True? Sort of.
“There are holes in my skates, yes, but I have always done that,” he said. “But I spray a lot of water on myself and that comes down. It drips into the skates, and that helps to drain it.”
Bobrovsky, as one may have noticed, is letting his hair down in these playoffs but that, again, is nothing new.
He has a personal tradition of getting a buzz cut following each season and then pretty much not getting another hair cut until the next season comes to a close.
Right now, Bobrovsky looks like the lead singer of an 80s cover band.
His hair is getting so long, in fact, he is using a headband when he is off the ice to keep it out of his face.
He also says this is not new — but close.
“I used it last year,” Bobrovsky said, referencing the Panthers advancing to the second round. “This is the probably the longest hair I have ever had.”
As for this playoff run the Panthers are on, one can see the pride in Bobrovsky’s face — when the hair is pulled back — when talking about it.
It has been a long, winding road for Bobrovsky ever since he signed what was the richest contract (seven years, $70 million) in franchise history in 2019.
The Panthers had been targeting Bobrovsky to take over following the 2018-19 season as he was a free agent and there was no misunderstanding about his thoughts on returning to Columbus.
Then he turned in a masterpiece and helped the Blue Jackets sweep the top-seeded Lightning in Round 1 of those playoffs and his price to come to Florida went up.
That was the first time he had won a playoff series and he thought there would be many more of those to come with a Florida team on the rise.
Only things did not work out the way anyone had hoped.
He struggled at times during his first season and was working through an injury when COVID shut things down.
During the 2021 playoffs, Florida used three goalies with coach Joel Quenneville having Chris Driedger backup rookie Spencer Knight in Games 5 and 6 against Tampa Bay. Knight had just wrapped up his sophomore season at Boston College.
Last season was a strong comeback for Bobrovsky but this year there were more inconsistencies as Knight appeared to take the starting job in December — only for Bobrovsky to take it back.
After Alex Lyon led Florida into the playoffs by going 6-1-1 to end the season, he started the first three games against Boston.
Bobrovsky lost first start in Game 4 but was given one more shot at the Bruins in Game 5.
He made 44 saves, Matthew Tkachuk scored in overtime and Florida lived to fight another day.
Big Game Bob was back — and now has his team four wins away from the Stanley Cup.
“It’s called experience. The downs give you lessons and help you learn,” said Bobrovsky, who has won 11 of his past 12 playoff games — including six in overtime — and leads all postseason goalies with an expected-save above average of 14.53. Adin Hill, Vegas’ Game 1 starter, is second at 10.40
“You are happy with the wins but that is another challenge because you have to stay humble when you are winning. It could feel like everything comes easy, but it does not. You have to understand how fragile that world is and how a bounce could go against you and things don’t go your way. Take it one moment at a time, don’t get too far ahead or drop too far behind. Stay in the moment and trust the process and enjoy the process.”
As far as a favorite moment in this playoff run goes, Bobrovsky starts with Lyon.
The two seem to have a good relationship and Bobrovsky has said how proud he was of his backup for picking the Panthers up after he got sick in Ottawa on March 27 and was forced out of the net.
“It started with the end of the season when I was sick and saw Alex Lyon and how he stepped in and played unbelievable hockey for us and brought us into the playoffs,’’ Bobrovsky said.
“Chucky’s overtime goals always make me jump and make me happy. One playoff game can feel like a week, so much happens. So many moments, different moments, small details like a blocked shot or a great stick or backcheck. In the playoffs, those momentum swings can be crazy.”
FLORIDA PANTHERS ON DECK