Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky’s ability to flip a switch makes him so dangerous
For any championship team, their goaltender needs to be at his peak at the right time.
Thankfully, the Florida Panthers have that in Sergei Bobrovsky.
As the defending Stanley Cup champions get set for a rematch against the Edmonton Oilers, the importance of the Russian netminder will be crucial if the Panthers want to win back-to-back championships.
Bobrovsky’s ability to turn his game up a notch at this point in the season is the reason why Florida has won the Eastern Conference in each of the past three seasons. He finds ways to make big saves in key moments, doing more than simply giving his team a chance to win.
On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton joined Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk to explain why Bobrovsky is such a game-changer.
Frank Seravalli: Sergei Bobrovsky has earned himself the reputation of being a big-game goalie. You think back to Game 7 last year, you think about the way that he’s been able to elevate his game at key times. But there’s also been a little part of his game where it almost feels like he’s a bit of a switch flipper. A guy that can start a series a little bit slow and wade into it, knowing that the moment isn’t there or the right time isn’t there. What do you make of his playoffs to this point? Is it as good as it was last year?
Carter Hutton: It’s really hard to say how good he is. I don’t think it’s been as good. From that Game 3 in Toronto, when they’re down 3-1, it looked like it was a stranglehold. Then, you look back on them coming back in that game, some big saves he made in overtime … Then, all of a sudden, it’s like a switch came on. That’s a switch you’re talking about where he gets so dialed in. … This is a guy that’s been there. He’s done it all. He’s not very emotionally tied to hockey games. Whether it’s a big goal for his team or a bad goal against, he stays pretty even keel. That’s something that is so valuable as a goalie at this level and at this stage. That being said, he’s going to have to be a difference-maker.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…