It’s not often NHL teams are scheduled for weeklong layoffs, as was the case for both teams in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday. Regardless, Game 1 told a unique story. By no means was it shocking that the , but it was a surprise to see the NHL’s best defensive team need to steal a win on home ice in the fashion it did.
The two teams are back on the ice for Game 2 on Monday night. Will the Panthers take a commanding series lead or will the Oilers find a way to go back to Edmonton even? The Panthers played one of their worst defensive games of this postseason but were bailed out by arguably the best single-game performance by any goaltender this playoff. Sergei Bobrovsky stole the show, as he finished with a +3.
66 goals saved above expected rating (GSAx), which is the highest single-game mark by any goalie this postseason. Bobrovsky saved all 32 shots fired his way by the visiting Oilers, which included a ton of quality looks. Edmonton led on high-danger chances (18-6), had 14 shots coming from the inner slot and four breakaways.
The Oilers had 7:51 of offensive zone possession, which was nearly double the Panthers’ 4:51. Bobrovsky proved just how dominant he can be in the 2023 postseason, where he finished with a +15.4 GSAx.
It wasn’t new information that he was capable of such a performance, but it was the first time these playoffs that he was asked to do so much in one outing. Sergei Bobrovsky was dominant in goal for the Panthers in Game 1. (Andrew Bersh.
