The Florida Panthers are having the best season in franchise history. With a 52-15-6 record and 110 points through 73 games, there’s still more for the Cats to scoop up before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin now that they’ve clinched their berth. However, they may have a goalie controversy on their hands with the sudden lapses from starter Sergei Bobrovsky and the rise of their young gun, Spencer Knight. With the playoffs only weeks away, the Panthers need to figure out who to rely on in net come Game 1 of the first round.
Bobrovsky’s Recent Struggles
Although Bobrovsky is having a successful season overall, his numbers of late should be concerning to head coach Andrew Brunette. Since the start of April, he’s been pulled in two of his last four games. He also had a save percentage (SV%) under .900 and allowed three or more goals in three of his last four appearances to bring his stats to 35-6-3 with a .911 SV% and 2.70 goals-against average (GAA). This is stunning, considering Bobrovsky was just awarded Third Star of the Month last month.
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While his defense has left him out to dry on some nights, Bobrovsky has to find a way to settle down and find consistency in his game. In the postseason, he must return to his Vezina Trophy-winning form, or it could be a first-in-first-out scenario for the Panthers. He did have a great showing on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks, stopping 22 of 24 shots to get the win, so he might have received his wake-up call.
Knight Acting like a Knight
The Panthers’ 13th-overall selection in 2019 has played lights out this season. In relief or starting this month, he’s won four straight games with an SV% of .905 or higher in three of his last four, including stopping every shot against the New Jersey Devils in a comeback victory on April 2. He now has a stat line of 17-8-3 with a .906 SV% and a 2.83 GAA. This is great, especially considering he was in the…
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