Sergei Bobrovsky
Florida Panthers
The Panthers rode a hot
Alex Lyon into the playoffs and through the first three starts before Bobrovsky, who was sidelined by illness late in the season, came off the bench in relief and helped lead them to a first-round upset of the Boston Bruins. His save percentage was below his career averages in the regular season (.901 compared to .915) and through the first round of the playoffs (.891 to .909), but he looked more like his old self against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round and dominated a four-game sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. After surrendering 17 goals in less than five games against Boston, Bobrovsky gave up 16 the next two rounds while posting a .954 save percentage.
Don't read too much into playoff blocker numbers. Boston scored six of 17 goals (35.3 percent) shooting mid-to-high blocker, Toronto appeared to target the blocker side early in the second round, and Carolina scored four of six on that side. But the blocker side hasn't been a statistical weakness in the 430-plus goals tracked on Bobrovsky since this project started in 2017. The way that Bobrovsky shapes and holds his stick to prioritize blocker coverage, and his willingness to drop that stick on purpose at times to make active blocker saves, appear to be a strength and an odd spot to target. Just ask Toronto forward
Auston Matthews, who was denied by Bobrovsky's blocker on several good looks in the second round, and Carolina's
Sebastian Aho, who learned how quick that blocker is once Bobrovsky sheds his stick like he did in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final to deny a high-quality backdoor scoring chance. Beyond where the shot goes, it is also more likely to go if the shot comes from the glove side of the ice.
Beware of active stick: Bobrovsky has done a great job cutting off lateral passes through or near his crease, including a few off the rush, with an active stick throughout the playoffs, so elevating passing attempts through the blue ice might help get a few more to their intended target. He also does a good job of not overextending himself in the process, so one of the few ways to target that active stick is on plays from below the goal line on the glove side, which forces him to pull that right shoulder around his torso more to get that stick extended, which in theory should make it a longer process to get back to his blocker side. Of course, it was that exact type of play that led to the Aho chance that Bobrovsky still managed to stop.
Across the slot line: Bobrovsky has a powerful cross-ice push, so it's often not enough to create lateral movement on the same side of the ice. Making plays from one side to the other across the slot line, which divides the middle of the ice from the goal line to the top of the face-off circles, that force him into bigger pushes have been key to scoring all season. These types of plays accounted for 48.0 percent of tracked goals in the regular season, well above the 36.4 percent average, and were a factor on a whopping 64.7 percent in five games against Boston, and seven of the 10 goals by Toronto. Just creating lateral chances isn't enough, however. Bobrovsky's ability to get across with good rotation and control means he's rarely limited to just sticking out his pad. He builds vertical coverage with his glove and blocker, making it important to pick corners in situations a lot of goalies are vulnerable to any shot above the pad. Otherwise, apparent tap-ins can become momentum-changing saves, something Carolina can attest to after only scoring two slot line goals.
Stay for rebounds: It's important to stop at the net on those types of plays rather than peeling off into a corner, something the Bruins did to create rebound goals after brilliant saves, and part of a rise in his rebound goals from the regular season (12.0 percent) to the first round (37.5), even though the Maple Leafs (20.0 percent) and Hurricanes (16.6 percent) didn't do it as effectively.
Against the grain: Catching Bobrovsky moving is another key, with the Bruins shooting or pulling the puck opposite the direction he was moving on 29.4 percent of their goals and the Maple Leafs on 30.0 percent, similar to the regular season total (32.0 percent) and well above the historical average tracked at 18.5 percent. It can also be effective on low-high passes that force him off his post, creating exposure on the short side.
Screens: "Get more traffic" is almost a cliché at this time of the season, and while Bobrovsky managed screens well in the first round, they were a statistical weakness in the regular season. Shooters higher up in the offensive zone can wait for him to transition from an elevated stance into that much lower, wider save stance before trying to filter high shots to the net.
