Looking to redeem themselves after a loss in Raleigh, the Florida Panthers did just that in their 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The story of the night was goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who excelled versus his former team, saving 38 of 40 shots, including all 16 he faced in the first period.
“I think we put on a show today. He made two unbelievable saves. Everybody in the building thought they went in, but he somehow kept them out. It definitely gives you energy, gives you a little bit extra kind of motivation to compete,” Bobrovsky said.
For the Blue Jackets, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was the sole reason this game wasn’t a blowout victory for the Panthers. Notching two ‘Save of the Year’ entries, Korpisalo was as good as it gets. Despite Korpisalo’s impressive 29 saves, the Panthers were lucky enough to get the better of him by a thin margin.
Florida cashed in on two Power Play opportunities, which came in the second period and were sent home by Owen Tippett and Patric Hornqvist. The Panthers were also fantastic when on the penalty kill. Columbus had three power-play opportunities, but didn’t capitalize on any of them.
“We were fortunate tonight we came out of there with the win,” Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville said
Star of the Game: G Sergei Bobrovsky (.951 SV%, 2 GA)
It may be hard for Panthers fans to realize, but Bobrovsky came into the 2021 season ready to play. And Tuesday’s game was a testament to that. This
“He was unreal tonight. A lot of huge saves, especially in the third to keep us in the lead. It was just fun to watch him. It was awesome,” said right-winger Juho Lammiko, who scored the opening goal in this game.
“The last 5-6 games I’ve felt unreal. I’ve felt focused, I’ve felt strong and confident,” Bobrovsky said.
In his last six games, Bobrovsky is 6-0-0, having posted a 2.17 goals-against average (GAA) with a .932 save percentage (SV%) in that span. Bobrovsky is playing to the heights of his contract, and Panther fans should be ecstatic about it.
