Florida Panthers have a goaltender rotation in place. They hope it helps long-term
When Paul Maurice announced Spencer Knight was going to be in net Saturday for a third consecutive start, the Florida Panthers coach made it clear without directly saying it how his goaltending plans were going to unfold in the immediate future.
Maurice has been rotating his goaltenders all season, with neither Knight nor Sergei Bobrovsky starting more than three consecutive games before getting at least a one-game break.
“You can almost guess who’s playing [Tuesday] against Washington,” Maurice said Friday.
True to his word, the obvious guess would be the correct one. Bobrovsky is back in net with the Panthers hosting the Washington Capitals on Tuesday for the third game of a five-game homestand at FLA Live Arena.
Splitting goaltending duties between Bobrovsky and Knight has been part of Maurice’s plan all along, and a decision Maurice hopes benefits the Panthers long-term.
Bobrovsky is a veteran, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner who is in Year 4 of his seven-year, $70 million contract. Knight is a 21-year-old up-and-comer who the Panthers selected in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Level Draft and has shown the potential to be a top-tier goaltender in due time.
Last year, Bobrovsky got most of the run in net, starting 53 of 82 games. The Panthers as a result had Knight spend time with their minor-league affiliate, the American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers, just so he could get steady playing time.
They’re taking a different approach in their first year under Maurice. He has given the goaltenders close to a 50-50 split of starts so far to start the season. Tuesday is Bobrovsky’s ninth start of the season. Knight has started seven games.
“There’s a bulk of games for them,” Maurice said last week. “We aren’t interested in having one goaltender run the table.”
So far, Knight has been the better of the two goaltenders based on analytics. Knight is 5-2-0 on the season. His .922 save percentage ranks ninth in the NHL among 38 goaltenders who have played at least seven games. His 2.31 goals-against average is tied for seventh.
Heading into Tuesday, Bobrovsky has a 3-4-1 record with a 3.29 goals against average (30th among those same 38 goaltenders) and .897 save percentage (28th among those 38 goaltenders).
“We’re going to need both goaltenders,” Maurice said, “and we do want these guys to get into some rhythm when they’re feeling good. It’s not so much a shutout. It’s just [being in a] good, solid, fine place.”
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