Sergei Bobrovsky brushes off being pulled in Game 4 loss: ‘I’m just getting ready for the next shot’
By Cam Lewis
8 days agoAfter scoring just four goals across Games 1 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers finally got to Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Oilers lit up the Florida Panthers’ star goaltender with five goals on 16 shots in a commanding 8-1 victory in Game 4 on Saturday. Bobrovsky was pulled in the second period and the Oilers scored three more goals on backup goalie Anthony Stolarz.
It was the first time Bobrovsky had been chased from the net during the team’s playoff run and it was his first time being pulled since all the way back in mid-January. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner saw his playoff save percentage dip from .916 to .909 in the loss.
Despite all of that, Bobrovsky brushed aside Game 4’s result and said that he’s focused on what’s ahead.
“I try to stay in the moment, whether it’s good or bad, it doesn’t matter,” Bobrovsky said, per Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post. “You just move on to the next.”“It is what it is. It’s hockey. They have a good team, they have a good offence. It’s part of the journey. We’re getting ready for the next shift. We will compete and fight.”
The loss on Saturday snapped a six-game winning streak for Bobrovsky and the Panthers dating back to their Eastern Conference Final series against the New York Rangers. The Rangers won Games 2 and 3 of that series to take a 2-1 lead but the Panthers finished things off in six games. Those two defeats to New York are Florida’s only back-to-back losses in the playoffs.
“I came out of the game, I did my best, and that’s what happened,” Bobrovsky said. “I’m just ready for the next game. It’s a new game. It all starts from the beginning, 0-0 score, and I’m just getting ready for the next shot.”
While Bobrovsky had his worst game of the playoffs in Game 4, Stuart Skinner had one of his best. The Edmonton native turned aside 32 of 33 shots in the win, marking a significant improvement from the nine goals he allowed on 68 shots between Games 1 and 3.
The Oilers gave their goaltender plenty of support offensively but Skinner made some key stops early in the game before his team pulled away. Head coach Kris Knoblauch and captain Connor McDavid both acknowledged how important Skinner’s performance was following the team’s win on Saturday.
“He made so many key saves at key moments,” Knoblauch said. “I think the score was 2-1 and he made a one-timer save. He makes that save and we go down and score and make it 3-1. That’s a different maker right there.”“He was great. You talk about goaltending and needing timely saves,” McDavid said. “I think about that two-on-one, that would have made the score 2-2. That was as big a save as you’re going to get.”
Though Skinner’s .898 save percentage in the playoffs doesn’t jump off of the page, he’s turned in some very strong performances when the Oilers have needed him most. He stopped 29 of 32 shots in Games 6 and 7 against the Vancouver Canucks in the second round and he turned aside 72 of 76 shots during their three straight wins against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.
Everyone should expect Bobrovsky will rebound following his rough outing, so the Oilers are going to need Skinner to continue to be at his best if they’re going to do the impossible and come back in this series. The Panthers will host Game 5 on Tuesday with a chance to win their first-ever Stanley Cup on home ice.
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