The Florida Panthers are moving on to the second round of the postseason as they defeated their in-state rival in the Tampa Bay Lightning four games to one in the first-round series. They wait until the conclusion of the Toronto Maple Leafs/Boston Bruins series to see who they will face in the second round.
One of the biggest pieces that got them to this point in the season was goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. He ended the regular season with a 2.37 goals-against average (GAA), a .915 save percentage (SV%), a league-leading six shutouts, and 36 wins. As a result of everything he’s done, he was nominated for the Vezina Trophy for the league’s best goaltender. If he takes it home, it will be the third time in his career he’s won the award.
Bobrovsky’s Career With Florida
Bobrovsky was brought into Broward County in the summer of 2019 by the previous general manager, Dale Tallon. He signed a seven-year, $70 million deal worth $10 million per season, tied for the richest on the Florida roster with forward Aleksander Barkov.
However, success has not always been the story of Bobrovsky’s time with the Cats. Up until this season, he’s been plagued with inconsistency between the pipes. In his first season as a Panther, he had a career-worst 3.23 GAA before the season halted due to COVID-19. The following season, his stats improved, but not by much as he finished with a 2.91 GAA and a .906 SV%. In his series against the Lightning that year, he was a borderline liability as he had a 5.23 GAA and an .841 SV%, the worst playoff performance of his career.
Related: Panthers Knock Out Lightning to Clinch Trip to Second Round
In the 2021-22 season, the league’s first full campaign since the pandemic, he improved once again with a 2.67 GAA, a .913 SV%, and ultimately tied Andrei Vasilevskiy for the league lead in wins with 39. In the playoffs, his numbers improved to a 2.11 GAA and a .911 SV% but the team ultimately fell in the second round.
Last season, he went on the longest playoff run in his career as the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final. While it ended in heartbreak, he finished with a .915 SV%, the second-best in his postseason career. While his time with the Panthers started less than ideally, he’s become the starter the team has dreamed of.
Bobrovsky Has Been Electric This Postseason
This postseason, Bobrovsky’s off to a good start. His stats are a little weak with a 2.78 GAA and a .896 SV%, but he made arguably the save of the year on Matt Dumba in Game 3. That save kept the game tied at 2-2 and led the Cats to win that game in overtime.
“That was unbelievable,” Ekman-Larsson said of the save, which set social media ablaze. “Obviously we know that he can make those saves, but that was something else. That’s what we have on this team. We have big-time players when we need them the most.”
Panthers defenseman on Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Sergei Bobrovksy’s incredible save in Game 2 of the first round.
With a save like that, it’s no wonder he was nominated for the Vezina. He’s been a key piece in keeping the Panthers’ postseason alive and will look to continue this trend in the second round.
What’s Next for Bobrovsky?
Of course, he would be honored to win the award again. But his goal is the same as everyone else in the locker room and the front office: the Stanley Cup, which he was so close to winning last summer with his team.
Related: Hellebuyck, Demko & Bobrovsky Named Vezina Trophy Finalists
He needs to be dialed in for the second round: he could facing the team he helped upset last April or the team he effectively shut down last May. He was efficient for Florida in the regular season, and will be continue to be looked upon throughout the postseason.