Bobrovsky gave Panthers a chance ‘right to the very end' in Game 4. It wasn't enough

Miami Herald

27-05-2025

Sergei Bobrovsky was better than any of his Florida Panthers teammates Monday.
But he wasn't better than the man standing between pipes on the opposite end.
As a result, Frederik Andersen and the Carolina Hurricanes return to Raleigh with faint life in this Eastern Conference final.
Andersen — back in the lineup after a one-game performance-based benching — stopped all 20 shots he faced Monday to lift Carolina past Florida 3-0 and extend the Hurricanes' season for at least two more days.
Both teams needed perfection from their net-minders Monday. Both nearly got it.
The game's only goal prior to empty-netters by Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal came on a broken play midway through the second period.
A neutral-ice turnover by Panthers defenseman Seth Jones led to a breakout down the left side by Logan Stankoven, who had ample space to snipe a shot stickside past Bobrovsky with 9:15 left in the frame to give Carolina its first lead of the series.
Beyond that, Bobrovsky was flawless. He stopped all 25 other shots he faced Monday to allow two or fewer goals for the eighth straight game. Bobrovsky's save percentage since Game 4 of the Toronto series: An astounding .953.
He's playing some of the best hockey of his decorated career.
'It was huge,' said Panthers forward Sam Bennett. 'He gave us a chance to hold the whole way and that's all you can ask for, especially when you have a game like that. To still have a chance right to the very end is huge.'
Most nights — particularly against this opponent — Bobrovsky's outing would have been more than good enough for a Panthers victory. But his teammates failed him Monday, well beyond Jones' giveaway.
The Panthers lost 55.6% of the game's faceoffs, managed just five shots on goal in the second period, and had a number of ill-timed penalties.
Perhaps the most costly? When Dmitry Kulikov pulled a streaking Stankoven down from behind in the first minute of the third. Instead staging a comeback early in the final period, the Panthers and Bobrovsky again were simply trying to hang on.
The game would have been out of reach the final period if not for Bobrovsky's heroics. The Hurricanes had more than three times as many scoring chances (19-6) and more than four times as many high-danger scoring chances (9-2) through two periods.
Bobrovsky's play was worth a full goal for Florida through two periods, based on advanced stats. Carolina's expected goals scored in the first 40 minutes was 2.13. The Hurricanes managed just one.
'The first [goal] was a hell of a shot,' said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. 'He made two or three other big-time saves. It was not a high-event game around the net. I didn't feel like there was a lot of action. ... But that's even tougher for both goaltenders when there's no action and then you've got so much on the line that it becomes really critical. Both goalies were good.'
Bobrovsky kept the Panthers alive in the game's late stages, thanks in no small part to a smart coaches' challenge on a would-be goal by Mark Jankowski that was ultimately disallowed due to offsides.
But even with an extra skater late, the Panthers simply couldn't solve Andersen and a Hurricanes defense that had allowed 16 goals in the series' first three games.
'They played a good game,' Bobrovsky said. 'They played a solid game. … They are a good team, and it's a series. We're just getting ready for the next game.'