The Florida Panthers opened the 2024 Stanley Cup Final with a 3-0 victory in Game 1 over the Edmonton Oilers, and while the final score indicates that they were in complete control of this game, that wasn't totally the case. In fact, if it weren't for a great performance in net from Sergei Bobrovsky, chances are the Panthers wouldn't have won this game.
Bobrovsky was at his best in this one against Edmonton, as he stopped all 32 shots that he faced on the night. There have been times throughout the postseason where Bobrovsky wasn't called into action all that much, but that wasn't the case against the Oilers on Saturday night. And if you ask the veteran netminder, that's just the way he likes it.
“It's fun to play against those guys, those elite guys. They are a great offensive team. They bring a good challenge. Every win is a big win. But it's a long series. So, we're going to reset, refocus and get ready for the next fight.” Sergei Bobrovsky, ESPN
Sergei Bobrovsky receives praise around the horn after huge Game 1 outing
Florida took an early lead in the first period thanks to Carter Verhaeghe, so Edmonton responded by firing pucks at Bobrovsky all night long. And despite having some great chances, the Oilers simply weren't able to get anything past him. Some nights, goalies are just on another level, and that was the case for Bobrovsky on this night.
Some of those chances came on the power play for the Oilers, as they had three opportunities on the man-advantage in this one. Once again, though, Bobrovsky was superb, stopping all six shots he faced on the penalty kill. After the game, head coach Paul Maurice credited Bobrovsky for being the reason why Florida's penalty kill was so effective in this game.
“There's nights where you will say that the driver of [the penalty kill] is the players, but tonight the driver of it was Sergei. With those elite shooters, you're not getting through that penalty kill without your goaltender at some point.” – Paul Maurice, ESPN
The guys in front of Bobrovsky on the ice appreciated his play too. Star forward Matthew Tkachuk had an unusually quiet night, tallying just one shot on goal and no points, but he was picked up by his star goalie, and he shouted him out after the game for delivering in a huge way for the Panthers in this one.
“He's just been unreal. His preparation is incredible. He's everything that you want in a teammate and especially a goalie. He was there for us tonight.” – Matthew Tkachuk, ESPN
A win is a win, especially in the Stanley Cup Final, but you can bet that the Oilers are going to come out swinging considering how Game 1 of this series played out. If Bobrovsky continues to play at this extremely high level, though, it may not matter what Edmonton ends up doing, and all eyes will be on him in Game 2 to see how he follows up his huge Game 1 outing.
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