Raleigh, North Carolina – Sergei Bobrovsky rarely conducts interviews without saying that.
“For a moment at a time.”
You will find he has not used adjectives before the “moment.”
That’s because it’s not a difference for him.
Every moment, big or small, is treated the same as a sage veteran. And for a team looking to win a back-to-back Stanley Cup, that’s the perfect mindset between the pipes.
Tall to help the Florida Panthers take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, Bobrovsky defeated the Carolina Hurricane 5-0 on Thursday for 17 saves.
“It was a good road trip for us,” Bobrovsky said. “Everyone worked hard. We had a good game, a full game again. We skated. We worked hard. We were merciless.”
It can be used relentlessly to describe Florida’s incredible forecheck, but it is also a decent explanation of how the winners of the two Vezina trophy approach each day.
On match days, it’s not uncommon to hear Bobrovsky squeeze in Olympic lifting after a morning skate, while the weights echoing throughout the arena.
On his break, he may skate gracefully around the ice and find what he describes as a “my mental and physical maintenance day” that he doesn’t face a single shot.
As for his routine, that’s not one thing.
That’s everything.
“After looking close, you realized there’s a reason for it,” said forward Brad Merchand, who spent years trying to settle Bobrovsky as an opponent. “He competes very hard every day, and he is probably the most dedicated player I have ever played.
“Everything he does care for himself every day and the way he recovers, there’s a purpose and a reason. He’s clearly an incredibly incredible goalkeeper. He shows up in big moments.
He was not as much of a greater beneficiary of Bobrovsky’s routine as the Panthers.
Obviously, it works.
With 17 performances in Game 2 and 17 performances with Carolina, he set a new franchise record with his third playoff shutout. This has been the most NHL goaltenders in one postseason since Andrei Vasilevskiy finished fifth in 2021.
The victory also ranked 19th on the NHL’s best playoff win list of all time with 55.
Help the Panthers get just two wins on just two of their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup final.
In his last six appearances he went 5-1 with a .958 save percentage.
As an elite in enemy territory, he only allows four total targets at the start of his last three roads.
“He’s incredible every night,” forward Sam Bennett said. “His calmness and his focus on the net – games, games out – he’s always dialing in. He makes big saves when needed and gives our team a lot of life.
While his routine prepares his body, it also stiffens his heart.
Bobrovsky doesn’t get rattle, playing a position where mental fortitude is key.
A proper example was a moment between the 5-2 victory over the hurricanes in Game 1 when Andrei Svechnikov creased and hit the head directly after the mouth whisper.
He jumped out quickly and wasn’t making too much noise, so Bobrovsky finished with 31 saves.
“It’s okay. It’s the playoffs,” he said of the incident with Svechnikov. “They try to get under their skin. That’s fine. I’m focused on myself.”
The focus shifted to Game 3 as the Panthers lead 2-0 in the series.
Set to protect his barn, Bobrovsky returns to the crease at sunrise on Saturday.
Just like his routine, the job is never finished.
“We’ll prepare for the next thing,” Bobrovsky said after Game 2. “The next one is big.”
