FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Sergei Bobrovsky baffles his own teammates at times. Florida’s starting goaltender has his own schedule and regimen — slowing gliding across the entirety of the ice to begin his process of getting ready in the morning, an extremely strict diet and some moves in the weight room that the Panthers say are all his own.
“Sometimes he walks on a wooden stick, like on a pole,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said, gesturing with his hands to try to describe the contraption without a whole lot of success. “It probably helps his balance, but none of us really get it.” Nobody minds, either.
What Bobrovsky is doing is working, especially at this time of year. There was the spectacular save in Round 1 of the playoffs against Tampa Bay that they’re calling The Bobbery, one that will forever be part of Panthers lore. There’s the current run of allowing two goals or fewer in 10 of his last 11 games.
There even was an assist on a goal that sparked a comeback victory over the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference final. And on Saturday night, he’ll be in net for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers — the second straight year in which Bobrovsky has backstopped a team to a title shot. “Bob has been Bob for the last 10 years,” Panthers forward Vladimir Tarasenko said.
“He’s unbelievable.” About three months shy of turning 36, Bobrovsky could become the third-oldest goalie in more than 50 years to be the startin.