Bobrovsky steady presence for Panthers during Stanley Cup repeat bid

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- As the Edmonton Oilers decide whether Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard will be their starting goalie for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC), the Florida Panthers have no such choice to make.

Their starting goalie is Sergei Bobrovsky, it’s always Bobrovsky, and there’s no need to even think about wavering from Bobrovsky.

It’s understandable. Bobrovsky, who led the Panthers to the first Stanley Cup championship in their history and the first of his career last season, is once again a steady, reliable performer. He’s 15-7 with a 2.26 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage and three shutouts in 22 starts this postseason. As the Panthers head back home up 3-2 in the best-of-7 series, he has a chance to lift the Stanley Cup for a second straight season on Tuesday.

“I mean, he’s an incredible, elite player who gets totally underappreciated, taken for granted, I guess, by us because he’s so consistent with his game,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Sunday. “If one gets by him that he doesn’t like, it has nothing to do with what’s going to happen next.

“His ability to focus is trained. Maybe it’s a talent, I don’t know, I just know he puts so much time into his focus and his ability and then the experience he has. So, there’s a calmness that comes with Sergei that spreads throughout the team.”

The Oilers have gone back and forth between Skinner and Pickard throughout the playoffs, including the past two games of the Cup Final. Skinner started Game 4 but was pulled after the first period, when he allowed three goals on 17 shots. Pickard entered in relief and made 22 saves, allowing Edmonton to rally from a 3-0 deficit for a 5-4 overtime victory.

Pickard had a tougher night in Game 5, allowing four goals on 18 shots in a 5-2 defeat. It was his first loss this postseason after going 7-0 prior to that.

Meanwhile, Bobrovsky tied the NHL record for most road wins in a single postseason (10) when he made 19 saves on Saturday. Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues most recently had 10 road wins in 2019, when the Blues won their first championship.

“He's the best. We love him. There's no doubt about it,” Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said of Bobrovsky. “So, love him. Great game. Another awesome game.”

The 21 shots Bobrovsky faced in Game 5 were the fewest in this series. He made 42 saves in each of the first two in Edmonton -- Game 1, a 4-3 overtime loss, and Game 2, a 5-4 win in double overtime.

“Yeah, I thought guys did an amazing job with the skating, with the gap, with the sticks,” Bobrovsky said after Game 5. “On the (penalty kill), that was probably the most block shots I have ever seen. So, the guys put on an unbelievable performance in front of me. It was a big one.”

The Panthers are used to Bobrovsky and haven’t had to adjust to another goalie. That steady presence is a good thing, especially going into the pressure-packed situation that will be Game 6. But the always calm Bobrovsky has the right outlook on that too.

“We don't need to think about the Cup or anything like that,” Bobrovsky said. “We just have to regroup, reset and focus on the first period, first shift, and don't think much about the ahead or behind. So, it's going to be a good, tough hockey game and we're excited about that.”