Sergei Bobrovsky could become a Hall of Famer on Saturday.
Not literally, of course. But if Bobrovsky adds the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy to the two Vezina Trophies already on his mantle, it will be hard to keep him out of the club. Bobrovsky would be the third goaltender with a Conn Smythe Trophy and multiple Vezina Trophies under the current selection criteria (since 1981-82), joining Hall of Famer Patrick Roy and Tim Thomas.
Bobrovsky has exasperated the Edmonton Oilers, who have scored four goals on 86 shots in the Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman have combined for zero goals on 30 shots against Bobrovsky, who has saved 4.43 goals above expected in the series. (Most of that came in Game 1, which Bobrovsky stole by saving 3.35 extra goals in the Florida Panthers’ 3-0 win.)
“You have that faith in him in the net that if something breaks loose, and it’s going to — no matter how hard you play defensively, no matter how good your structure is, (the Oilers) are getting looks,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice told reporters after the team’s 4-3 win Thursday. “And that’s his role.”
You would be forgiven if you forgot that Bobrovsky was not in net when the Panthers opened the playoffs last season. Alex Lyon stepped in late in the regular season while Bobrovsky dealt with an illness and started the first three games of the first round. Bobrovsky had struggled up to that point, posting a 3.07 goals against average and .901 save percentage in 50 regular-season games.
Since taking back the crease in Game 4 against the Boston Bruins last year, Bobrovsky has been hard to beat in the playoffs. He has made 15 quality starts out of 20 total this post-season. (A goaltender is credited with a quality start when he saves more goals than expected.)
One goaltender — Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2021 — has received the Conn Smythe Trophy in the past 11 years. Bobrovsky will have some competition if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup, as history suggests they will. Aleksander Barkov has been a defensive force against several of the league’s best offensive players. Gustav Forsling has done the same as the breakout star of the playoffs.
Bobrovsky, however, is most deserving of being named playoff MVP if the Panthers prevail.
“He’s had a lot of big saves, especially in the (final),” Barkov told reporters. “I know that they have a really good team. They’re going to have their chances, no matter how good we play in the defensive zone. They create a lot. They’re very gifted offensively.
“(Bobrovsky) has been dialled in. When you see how much work he puts in every single day, in practice and in the games, you’re just happy to see him perform like that.”