George Richards, FHN Publisher
SUNRISE — To make the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Florida Panthers have to win a vast majority of their remaining 17 games. Sergei Bobrovsky has been giving them that chance.
Which is the reason the Panthers went so hard after him in the first place.
Early on during the 2018-19 season, the Panthers’ front office identified Bobrovsky as the missing piece to help their team turn into a true contender.
Even through the Panthers had Roberto Luongo and James Reimer under contract for the following season, Florida made up its mind that then-Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky would be a difference maker for their team.
Although it has not always worked out in Florida’s favor since signing Bobrovsky to what was a franchise-record seven-year, $70 million deal in 2019, it is certainly paying off right now.
“Bob was excellent, as always,” captain Sasha Barkov said after Bobrovsky made 31 saves in a 2-1 win against Vegas on Tuesday night. “He kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win. It is huge having a goalie like that, playing at the level he is. It is amazing and we are really confident playing in front of him.’’
Over the past five games, the Panthers are 3-2 but it is hard to place any blame on Bobrovsky for those losses.
You can, however, give him a lot of credit for those three wins.
In the past five games, Bobrovsky has given up a grand total of eight goals — stopping 141 of the 149 shots faced.
Florida has won its past two games and Bobrovsky has surrendered just two goals.
With Spencer Knight away from the team for the time being, there is no question who Florida’s goalie is on a nightly basis.
The Panthers may not be scoring a lot of goals these days, but Bobrovsky has been making sure they have not needed to.
“It is a huge win for us as, again, we beat a really good opponent,” Bobrovsky told FHN on Tuesday night. “This is fun to be a part of, it is fun to play especially at home where we have a great atmosphere. What is special is seeing all the hard work paying off with the results. Things are coming together for us.”
This is Bobrovsky’s fourth season with the Panthers, a tenure marked with plenty of ups-and-downs.
His first season did not play out the way either side had hoped, with new coach Joel Quenneville benching him for a game in November after a rough outing cost the team a win in Washington.
There was also the benchings in the first-round series against Tampa Bay in 2021 in which Knight first jumped up onto the scene for the Panthers as well as a rough stretch this past November where it appeared Knight had taken over as the Florida starter.
But Bobrovsky’s play since getting back in once Knight got sick early in December has left no doubt who runs the net in South Florida.
It belongs to Bobrovsky.
”There is a rhythm for those guys where they get into it, they start to feel right and do not have to worry about much other than playing games,” coach Paul Maurice said.
Bobrovsky’s numbers have steadily improved over the past few months as he has risen from being one of the worst goalies in the league statistically to one of its better ones.
In November, Bobrovsky was giving up close to five goals per game while making just 86 percent of his saves.
There has been marked improvement every month since.
This month has been Boborvsky’s best stretch of the season — although it is the smallest sample size.
In three games, he has a 1.35/.954 which is giving his team a chance each and every night.
”He is there for a reason, an amazing athlete and an amazing hockey player,” Barkov said. “He works at the gym every day. You get here and he is there; you leave and he is still there working and getting better. It is huge for us having a guy in the net like that, the way he is playing. He makes game-savers and is confident in the net. It is huge for us.’’
PANTHERS ON DECK
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS
- When: Friday, 7 p.m.
- Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
- TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+
- Radio: WPOW 96.5 FM-2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
- Last season: Florida won 2-0
- This season (Chicago leads 1-0): Blackhawks 4, Panthers 2 (Oct. 25)
- All-time regular season series: Blackhawks lead 28-17-4, 3 ties
- Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday vs. Winnipeg, 7 p.m.