Sergei Bobrovsky Rebounds As Florida Panthers Get Back in the Series

The Florida Panthers are back in the series after winning Game 3 of the 2023 Stanely Cup Final by a score of 3-2 in overtime. Carter Verhaeghe scored the overtime winner as the Panthers celebrate their first Stanley Cup Final win in team history. And while Verhaeghe gets credit for extending the series to at least five games, Sergei Bobrovsky is the reason it got to overtime in the first place.

Game 3 was the best game of the series and the story of the night is the bounce-back play of Bobrovsky. He was the reason why the Panthers are back in it. Not for Bobrovsky, Vegas wins Game 3 going away. This was the Bobrovsky we expected when the series started.

From the minute the puck dropped, the Bobrovsky we fell in love with through the first three rounds showed up. Bobrovsky stopped Chandler Stephenson multiple times. He made a highlight reel save in the second period. First, he stopped Nicolas Roy then on Brett Howden as he slid across the crease.

Sergei Bobrovsky was doing everything in his power to keep the Panthers in the series and in the game. The Golden Knights were relentless in the third period as Bobrovsky was put to the test once again. Midway through the third he stopped William Karlsson on a great feed from Michael Amadio. Vegas was dominating in all three zones. However, Florida showed no quit as many expected and there was Hill equaling Bobrovsky.

Later on in the third period, Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev have a 2-on-1 on Bobrovsky. There are about five minutes left in the period and the Golden Knights are up 2-1 on Florida. Eichel slides the puck to Barbashev, who rings the post. Instead of 3-1 Vegas, it is still 2-1 and Florida has a chance to tie the game. That is exactly what happened as the Panthers pulled Bobrovsky for the extra attacker.

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Who else but Mr. Clutch himself Matthew Tkachuk? It had to be Tkachuk. He was able to sneak behind Brayden McNabb and pick up the loose chain and stuff the puck into the open net to get the building rocking again. Earlier in the game, Tkachuk took a big hit from Keegan Kolesar that knocked him out of the first period. Tkachuk was able to come back but was not the same player until he scored the tying goal.

Again always in the right place at the right time. Tkachuk has goals in back-to-back games in the Stanley Cup Final. Through 17 minutes of the third period, Vegas was locked in defensively. The building was silent as the Panthers had just four shots in the period. But all of a sudden after the missed opportunity by Vegas, the Panthers found life.

Aleksander Barkov was able to keep the puck in at the line and win a puck battle, which allowed the Panthers to get the shot on goal for Tkachuk to pot the rebound. Again getting traffic in front is exactly what the Panthers needed to do against Adin Hill.

Hill played another spectacular game for the Golden Knights. But like with the tying goal, the opening goal of the game by Brandon Montour, go through a screen of players past Hill to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. Then the first shot of overtime by Verhaeghe goes through several bodies. The puck may have changed direction thanks to Tkachuk, but again traffic in front.

It was a simple game the Panthers need to play because, through the first two games, they were not doing that. Even though Vegas outplayed them for stretches, it was Sergei Bobrovsky who showed up for his team. He needed to be the Panthers best player and he was.

Undiscipline Penalties Almost Cost Florida in this one as Vegas continues to score on the power play. Mark Stone tied the game at 1-1 in the first period. This came after the Panthers took back-to-back dumb penalties. Those types of penalties end up in the back of your net. The Golden Knights took a 2-1 lead on Jonathan Marchessault‘s 13th goal of the playoffs.

Marchessault remains red hot. He is now tied for the playoff lead in goals with Leon Draisaitl with 13 goals as he now has 13 goals in 13 games and 11 goals in his last 10 games. Not to mention he now joins Steve Yzerman and Jake Gueztnel as the only players to score in the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final. Marchessault and Eichel now tied with a franchise record each with 23 points in the playoffs

However, the Panthers were able to overcome all of those undisciplined penalties because of Bobrovsky. It set up the tying goal late in the third period. The Hockey Gods were on the side of the Panthers after a questionable penalty was called late in the third period on Gustav Forsling.

The Panthers killed off the penalty which led to Verhaeghe’s fourth career playoff overtime goal. Florida is now 7-0 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in overtime.

It is a brand new series with the Golden Knights now leading the Florida Panthers 2-1. With Sergei Bobrovsky back to form at least for this game does this get Vegas frustrated? Find out as Game 4 goes Saturday night.