Playoff dominance reminds Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky of what he can do
Six years ago Wednesday, Sergei Bobrovsky was named the Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s best goaltender.
It was his second time winning the award, another verification that he was one of the best in the world.
Bobrovsky needed that reminder again this year. This Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final appears to have done just that.
“When I was 20, you believe that you are one of the best, if not the best,” Bobrovsky said at last week’s exit interview. “That kind of motivates you. But then sometimes in some seasons, some circumstances could put you in that position that it doesn’t matter what kind of skills you have.”
Once a dominant force for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Bobrovsky signed a monstrous seven-year, $70 million contract to join the Florida Panthers in 2019. At the time, it was the most lucrative contract in Panthers history.
Bobrovksy speaks of a metaphorical wall that stood tall and sturdy in his four seasons with the Panthers. His contract came with expectations, ones that he was not living up to.
In his first season with Florida, he allowed a 3.23 goals-against average in 50 games. He improved the next season, but still couldn’t match his numbers with the Blue Jackets. The same happened in the 2021-22 season, until this past year when his goals-against average rose above 3.00 again. It prompted Alex Lyon to start in net over him in the first three playoff games.
“It feels like it’s a wall on top of you,” Bobrovsky said. “You just can’t do anything.”
And then the run happened — the one that he thinks can be a turning point. Bobrovksy started all the rest of the Panthers playoff games with a 12-6-0 record and was scorching hot against the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Hurricanes.
Now, it begs the question whether he can carry it into next season or if he merely found lightning in a bottle.
At this point in his career, Bobrovsky, 34, has seen just about everything. He was a part of the 2018-19 Blue Jackets team that remarkably swept President Trophy-winning Tampa Bay for the franchises’ first-ever series win. These past two months looked like he returned to that form.
“I would say for those two months that I played for the playoffs, I learned a lot more than for 13 years of my NHL career,” Bobrovsky said. “It’s been especially so many mental things, mental challenges that you have to overcome and all that stuff.”
Even after allowing 21 goals in five games during the Stanley Cup Final — including eight goals in the Game 5 loss to the Golden Knights — Bobrovsky still led all playoff goaltenders in goals saved above expected by a wide margin. According to moneypuck.com, his 16.3 mark nearly doubled the next-best of 8.8 from the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin. Vegas’ Adin Hill was third at 7.7.
During the regular season, Bobrovsky was 23rd in the league with 6.2 goals saved above expected.
Bobrovsky appears to be one of the Panthers to escape the playoffs without a significant injury. He said he thinks the shortened offseason could be a good thing that forces the team to mentally and emotionally move on from the Cup Final loss.
“Now it’s the time to just let it go and everything go,” Bobrovsky said. “It’s been very stressful, very physical and mentally demanding time. Now it’s time to rest, to rejuvenate and to motivate ourselves for the next season and get back.”
Bobrovsky can now check off a conference championship from his list of accolades, but sustained dominance next season could be quite the story of a rejuvenated career.
It doesn’t have to be a third Vezina Trophy, either.
Besides, sometimes it takes a loss near the top to get to the very top.
“Because in the playoffs especially it’s so fragile,” Bobrovsky said. “One bounce, one goal at the right time and it could win or it could lose the game. Those things, when you have success, you really appreciate and value them. It makes you again appreciate your work.”