The Florida Panthers have a chance to lift the Stanley Cup on Saturday night. However, that chance is slipping away by the minute. Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 11 shots during Game 4. At the time of publication, Florida trails the Edmonton Oilers 6-1. And the abysmal performance led to head coach Paul Maurice taking Bobrovsky out of the game.
Bobrovsky had been a rock for the Panthers in the first three games. He had allowed just one goal through the first two contests. In Game 3, he allowed three goals, but made 32 saves to help his team take a 3-0 series lead. Bobrovsky was on track to turn in one of the best performances in Stanley Cup Final history.
The Panthers and Oilers seem destined for a Game 5. But no one expected this outcome considering how the first three games turned out. And as Bobrovsky skated to the bench, fans flocked to social media to share their thoughts on this turn of events.
Fans react to Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky implosion
Some fans took to social media to note the timing of Bobrovsky's poor start. The Panthers have never won the Stanley Cup in their history. In fact, this is the first time they have been within a single win of winning it. This certainly adds more salt to the wound if you are a Florida fan, coach, or player.
“Great, another goalie getting yanked on a night when his team needed him to be a wall. Sergei's having an okay season, but this one's gonna sting for a while,” one fan wrote on social media on Saturday night.
Another fan called into question whether Panthers players are mentally checked into the game. They pointed out that this contest is being played in Edmonton. And they wondered if Florida players subconsciously wanted to win the Stanley Cup in front of their home fans.
“This is the same as the Celtics game in the NBA..a blowout. Florida wants to win it on their home ice. Their bodies might be currently in Edmonton but their minds are in Florida atm,” they wrote on Saturday night.
Finally, another fan questioned how this performance would affect Sergei Bobrovsky moving forward. The Florida veteran has certainly been one of the team's best performers in the Stanley Cup Final. This fan wondered if Game 4 could rattle the 35-year-old puck stopper.
“Bobrovsky is the main reason Florida was up 3-0. Made ridiculous saves to keep them in the game. Have to wonder how this will affect his confidence,” they wrote during Game 4 on Saturday night.
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