As stage gets bigger, Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky stays grounded eyeing Stanley Cup repeat

Miami Herald

2 days ago

Sergei Bobrovsky knows what's ahead of him and the Florida Panthers. They're about to play in their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final with a chance to repeat as champions after winning it all for the first time last year. It's the biggest stage of the NHL season.
Bobrovsky also knows that, at its core, what's ahead is just another game.
That's how Bobrovsky operates. After 15 NHL seasons, including a lot of good but also its share of rough times, the goaltender has become a creature of living in the moment. He can't let what happened in the past affect him. He can't let what might happen creep into his mind.
That mentality, he and the Panthers hope, will work to their advantage when Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers begins at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Rogers Place as a rematch of last season's Cup Final gets underway.
'You enjoy the moment and savor the moment,' Bobrovsky said. 'You're not trying to cut yourself off thinking about what's ahead or what's happened in the past. You're just trying to take advantage of the opportunity. It's a great opportunity. There's only two teams left, and we're one of them and we have opportunity to win it all. It's an exciting time, and I want to enjoy every bit of it.'
Bobrovsky has had an exciting postseason — and his teammates certainly have enjoyed it.
Through the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Bobrovsky has a 2.11 goals against average and .912 save percentage. He has three shutouts in 17 games — one in each round — and has held opponents to two goals or fewer in 11 of those 17 games. His 6.04 goals save above average according to Natural Stat Trick are the most among all goals this postseason.
'There's not much that can get him off his game,' defenseman Dmitry Kulikov said. 'He can have an off day for him, which is a pretty good day for a good goalie in the NHL, but he always bounces back because he has this foundation — he has his routine every day that he does. And when he's [in] net, we feel very, very confident.'
Especially since they know the work he puts in to get ready for each game. Bobrovsky has a regimented plan of attack for every day. After being in the league as long as he has and having the success he has — two Vezina Trophies, finalist for a third, top-10 in the NHL in goaltender wins and finally a Stanley Cup champion — Bobrovsky and only Bobrovsky truly understands what he needs to be ready.
And his teammates marvel at it.
'He knows exactly what his body needs,' forward Carter Verhaeghe said. 'He's so dialed in. If there's a pro that you want to emulate, it's him. But his routines aren't like any other. I've seen Bobby do it ever since I've been here. It's special. He's special.'
It has the Panthers on the cusp of doing something special by repeating as Stanley Cup champions if they can knock of the Oilers in the Cup Finals again.
That's the moment the Panthers are in — and the moment Brobrovsky is prioritizing.
'I guess it's experience,' Bobrovsky said. 'I've been around for a little bit, and I know how tough it is to get into that stage. It has to be lots of things coming together. I just want to be thankful and appreciate and be humble about the opportunity.'