And sure enough, Bobrovsky made several tough saves, especially on Auston Matthews in Game 1, with the blocker and Toronto only scored twice there.Īcross the slot line: Bobrovsky still has a powerful cross-ice push and the ability to make dramatic extended saves, so it's often not enough to create lateral movement on the same side of the ice. While those numbers don't represent a save percentage that would better track relative strengths and weaknesses, the way Bobrovsky prioritizes blocker coverage and access over the stick it holds, even dropping that stick on purpose at times so he can make active blocker saves, made it seem like an odd thing to target.

In fact, of the over 430 goals tracked on Bobrovsky since this project started in 2017, his blocker totals were slightly below average. Toronto appeared to target the blocker side early in the second round as well, despite the fact it hasn't been a statistical weakness historically. 943 save percentage.īlocker side? Maybe not:Nothing jumped off the page about Bobrovsky's goal locations until the Bruins scored six of their 17 goals (35.3 percent) shooting mid-to-high blocker. After surrendering 17 goals in less than five games against Boston, Bobrovsky only gave up 10 in five games against Toronto while posting a. 900), but the two-time Vezina Trophy winner as best goalie in the NHL looked more like his old self against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round. 915) and through the first round of the playoffs (.891 to.

Bobrovsky's save percentage was below his career averages in both the regular season (.901 compared to. The Panthers rode a hot Alex Lyon into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and through the first three starts before Bobrovsky came off the bench in relief and helped backstop them to a first-round upset of the Boston Bruins. Whether Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen can keep it up could depend how well the other team identifies and attacks any relative weaknesses. The Eastern Conference Final between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes features two goalies in the midst bounce-back playoffs after below-average regular seasons.

Wild World by Peter S. Rush