Bobrovsky has 'something to prove' for Panthers in Qualifying Round

Sergei Bobrovsky needs to raise his level of play for the Florida Panthers when the 2019-20 NHL season resumes, general manager Dale Tallon said Thursday.

"He has something to prove, and that's a good thing, so I expect him to be at the top of his game," Tallon said. "And when he's at the top of his game, we have a chance to win. We're counting on him. We're relying on him and we expect big things from him."

The goalie, who signed a seven-year contract with the Panthers as an unrestricted free agent July 1, had an up-and-down regular season, going 23-19-6 with a 3.23 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 50 games (49 starts). He missed Florida's final four games with a lower-body injury but was close to returning when the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

"The numbers [are] not there," Bobrovsky said April 7. "It wasn't easy season for me. It was a new team, new coach [Joel Quenneville], new [surroundings]. Everything is new."

As part of the NHL Return to Play Plan announced Tuesday, the Panthers will play the New York Islanders in the best-of-5 Eastern Conference Qualifying Round. It will be one of eight series in the qualifying round, with four in each conference. A Seeding Round Robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs also will be played. Dates and locations for the qualifying round and seeding round robin have yet to be announced.

Bobrovsky, a two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy as the League's best goalie (2013, 2017), is 278-172-43 with a 2.54 GAA and .917 save percentage in 507 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Panthers. He was 6-4-0 with a 2.41 GAA and .925 save percentage in the 2019 playoffs and helped the Blue Jackets sweep the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had won the Presidents' Trophy with 128 points, and advance past the first round for the first time.

"He's stayed [in Florida], he's made sacrifices," Tallon said. "He's another guy who works extremely hard. He was disappointed with his season up to now."

The Panthers finished the regular season with a .565 points percentage (35-26-8), making them the No. 10 seed in the 12-team Eastern Conference. The Islanders, with a .588 points percentage (35-23-10) are the No. 7 seed.

Bobrovsky's play could be a huge factor in how far the Panthers can go.

"I think it's the most important part of the playoffs anyway, whether it's seven games, three or five games," Tallon said. "There's less room for error, obviously, at five games [compared to] seven. You can bounce back from a bad game or two in a seven-game series, but you can't in a five-game series. It's the most important part of all of it. A hot goaltender can take you deep into the playoffs."