SUNRISE, Fla. — Sergei Bobrovsky entered the Stanley Cup Final as the most popular goaltender in hockey.

He backstopped the Florida Panthers to the ultimate by successful 11 of his final 12 video games and stopping 438 of 465 photographs in that span, for a 1.95 goals-against common and .942 save share. In two losses to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier than being pulled halfway via Game 2 Monday night time, Bobrovsky has allowed eight objectives in just below 87 minutes of motion for a 5.52 GAA and .826 save share.

Despite all that, and due to all the things he did to get Florida via the Eastern Conference playoffs, coach Paul Maurice is expressing loads of confidence in “Bob” shifting ahead into Game 3 on Thursday.

“He was very, very good in Game 1,” Maurice mentioned Tuesday earlier than the groups flew from Las Vegas to Florida. “I thought Sergei was like our team (in Game 2): I thought we were just slightly off. We didn’t give him a chance. He didn’t, maybe, quiet the game early for us when we needed it quieted by the goaltender, but I’ve got complete faith in what he’ll be able to do in Game 3.”

Maurice took Bobrovsky out in favor of Alex Lyon after permitting 4 objectives on 13 photographs in what become a 7-2 Game 2 loss that put Florida right into a 2-0 gap within the best-of-seven collection. He mentioned afterward he’d “sweat” his goalie resolution till later within the week - but in addition praised Bobrovsky for being unbelievable all playoffs and including that the hook was completed to offer the 34-year-old veteran some relaxation.

This is near essentially the most hockey Bobrovsky has performed throughout his 13 seasons within the NHL, which included twice successful the Vezina Trophy because the league’s high goaltender. It is by far his longest playoff run: 16 appearances with 15 begins and 11 wins to indicate for it.

Games 1 and a couple of of the ultimate had been the primary time he had allowed 4 objectives back-to-back this postseason.

“Bob has been our best player,” ahead Anton Lundell mentioned. “He’s a huge, huge part of our team. We can always trust him, but we need to help him more. We need to play better defense. Too many chances for him.”

From Bobrovsky out, the Panthers should be significantly better to claw again into this collection. While he regarded a bit shaky early in Game 2, the objectives adopted a well-recognized recipe: pucks shot via screens or after Golden Knights gamers received previous the Florida protection and in on their lonesome.

“We can be a little better in front of our goaltender,” Maurice mentioned.

It doesn’t assist the Panthers that they could possibly be with out a number of essential function gamers within the franchise’s first residence playoff sport since 1996.

Finnish heart Eetu Luostarinen is “not ready to play yet” after lacking the primary two video games of the collection, Maurice mentioned, and hulking defenseman Radko Gudas is a serious query mark. Gudas was injured early in Game 2 when he tried to hit huge Vegas ahead Ivan Barbashev and as a substitute took the brunt of the contact.

Maurice had no updates on both participant but in addition identified the Panthers received a playoff sport earlier on this run after shedding captain Aleksander Barkov to harm a few minutes in and have the flexibility to resist absences

“That’s the story of the playoffs for each team: There’ll be guys that go down,” Maurice mentioned. “But it is an opportunity. … There is that for those players (who go in).”

At instances within the playoffs, that has been journeyman ahead Zac Dalpe. Little-used defenseman Casey Fitzgerald received in because the seventh defenseman in Game 2. If Gudas can’t go, Dalpe and Fitzgerald could each be within the lineup.

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