The score at the end of Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final read 3-0 in favor of the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. However, the win was anything but easy.
Sergei Bobrovsky was called into action in Florida’s net throughout regulation, making huge save after huge save in a game that, on most nights, would have ended in a dominant victory for the Edmonton Oilers. Per Natural Stat Trick, Bobrovsky stopped all 32 shots he faced and nearly half of those (13) were of the high-danger variety.
Bobrovsky made more high-danger saves Saturday night than in any other Panthers game this postseason. The 5.61 expected goals that the Oilers produced, per MoneyPuck, marked the most the Russian netminder has turned away in a single performance in 2023-24, including his 58 regular season appearances.
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Connor McDavid (4), Leon Draisaitl (2), and Zach Hyman (2) combined for eight individual high-danger chances. The dangerous trio have combined for 156 goals this year across the regular season and playoffs but could not solve Bobrovsky.
“He’s just been unreal,” Matthew Tkachuk said postgame. “His preparation is incredible, his work ethic, his character — everything you want in a teammate, especially a goalie — he is everything. I was very impressed with the way he played, especially early, but honestly, all night he was really good. He was there for us.”
The 35-year-old netminder has stopped 10.4 more goals than expected in the 2024 postseason, ranking third-best in the league behind just Igor Shesterkin (13.1) and Jeremy Swayman (13.3). Bobrovsky helped the Panthers eliminate both of those netminders in back-to-back series.
“The saves, I’m here for the God’s fame, not for myself,” Bobrovsky said postgame, per the AP’s Stephen Whyno. “I am nothing without Him. I am just alive for the opportunity, and I enjoy every second of it.
Bobrovsky’s shutout was his second of the playoffs after he kicked off the Eastern Conference Final with a 3-0 blanking of the New York Rangers. He became the oldest goaltender ever to open the Cup Final with a shutout and his 32 saves are the fourth-most in a Stanley Cup Final Game 1 shutout in NHL history.
Per NHL Network, Bobrovsky is the first goaltender to allow two or fewer goals in at least 11 starts over a 12-start span within one postseason since Jonathan Quick did so for the Los Angeles Kings in 2012. The Kings won the Stanley Cup that year and Quick was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.
The impressive stats speak for themselves, doing much of the talking while Bobrovsky made his feats sound far simpler than they were. “I just played my structure,” Bobrovsky told The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy. “I did my best to make the stops.”
Game 2 between the Panthers and Oilers is set for Monday night inside Florida’s Amerant Bank Arena. Puck drop is set for 8 pm.
