Panthers make a goalie change and are down a star defenseman for Game 4 vs. Bruins
For the first time in 27 days, Sergei Bobrovsky is back in the starting lineup for the Florida Panthers on Sunday in Sunrise.
The star goaltender is making his return in the most crucial game of their season so far, too. The Panthers trailed the Boston Bruins, 2-1, in their first-round series and needed a win in Game 4 to avoid an elimination situation later in the week at TD Garden.
Bobrovsky is replacing fellow goaltender Alex Lyon, who started the final eight games of the regular season and the first three games of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs before being benched in the third period of Game 3.
The 34-year-old Russian took over for Lyon, 30, with 11:28 left Friday and stopped 5 of 6 shots in 7:55.
As good as Lyon was for the last month, moments like these are why Florida signed Bobrovsky to a seven-year, $70 million contract back in 2019. The goalie is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and led the Blue Jackets to a stunning first-round upset of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Lightning during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs before signing with the Panthers a few months later as the highest-paid goaltender in the league. Now, he’ll try to lead Florida to a similar upset of the Bruins, who set a regular-season record for wins on the way to the Presidents’ Trophy this year.
In three regular seasons with the Panthers, Bobrovsky has a .907 save percentage and 2.87 goals against average, but he hasn’t played since March after an illness held him out for four games and Florida decided to ride with Lyon even after Bobrovsky got healthy. Lyon, who had only played 31 NHL games in his career before taking over, won 6 of 8 to close out the regular season, but the Panthers turned back to their top goaltender after Lyon’s save percentage plummetted from .943 in the last eight games of the regular season to .902 in the first three games of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This is Bobrovsky’s 17th postseason start in four years in Florida, including four during the qualifying round the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, which were expanded because of COVID-19. He had an .897 save percentage in his first 16 playoff starts for the Panthers.
Aaron Ekblad misses Game 4
Aaron Ekblad’s status was a game-time decision for Game 4 after he left Game 3 with an injury and the star defenseman was ultimately unable to go despite taking part in an optional practice Saturday at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs.
The 27-year-old Canadian left after a collision with Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the second period Friday, briefly tried to come back and ultimately did not play at all in the third period of the Panthers’ loss at FLA Live Arena.
Casey Fitzgerald replaced Ekblad in the lineup Sunday, making his postseason debut and playing on the third pairing next to fellow defenseman Josh Mahura. Radko Gudas took Ekblad’s place on the top pairing next to fellow defenseman Gustav Forsling.
Fitzgerald, 26, played in four NHL games in the regular season and had just one shot, no points and a plus-minus of minus-1.
Florida’s other options was defensemen Lucas Carlsson and Mike Benning.
The Panthers called up Carlsson from AHL Charlotte on Saturday after he notched 54 points in 61 regular-season games in the American Hockey League, then helped the Charlotte Checkers sweep through the first round of the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs. He also played in two NHL games in the regular season.
Benning signed an entry-level contract with Florida on April 12 after wrapping up his career in Denver, which included being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2022 NCAA tournament. If he plays at some point in these Cup playoffs, it will be his professional debut.
Panthers bench Duclair for Dalpe
The Panthers made one other surprise lineup change for Game 4: Right wing Anthony Duclair is out with forward Zac Dalpe taking his place.
It’s not immediately clear whether Duclair’s absence is because of injury or performance. The winger skated on the third line with forwards Anton Lundell and Ryan Lomberg during pregame rushes.
Duclair, 27, missed most of the season as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon and had a plus-minus of minus-6 in the first three games of Round 1, with no points, seven shots and two blocked shots. Dalpe, 33, spent most of the season as the Checkers’ captain, but also had four points in 14 games in the NHL in the regular season.
This story was originally published April 23, 2023 at 3:40 PM.
