"I think he wants the second one back," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said Wednesday. "But then he just stands strong with a couple huge saves, and I think that's great for really anybody's psyche. You make a mistake, and you go out there and then you make a great play, I think it gets you right back to where you need to be."
In his NHL career, Bobrovsky is 181-107-30 with a 2.45 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in the regular season. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 2013 and is the favorite to win it this year.
But he is 3-9 with a 3.53 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even if you throw out his early days with the Philadelphia Flyers and count only his two runs with Columbus, the numbers aren't good. He's 3-7 with a 3.35 goals-against average and .902 save percentage.
The opponents certainly have something to do with it. Columbus played Pittsburgh in the playoffs in 2014, after the Penguins tied for fifth in goals in the regular season. Pittsburgh led the NHL in goals this season. Facing Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and company game after game can do a number on your numbers.