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NHL Playoffs 2021: 3 reasons the Florida Panthers will win the Stanley Cup

By Brad Berreman

SUNRISE, FL - MAY 10: Teammates line up to congratulate Goaltender Chris Driedger #60 of the Florida Panthers after the shutout victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the BB&T Center on May 10, 2021 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL - MAY 10: Teammates line up to congratulate Goaltender Chris Driedger #60 of the Florida Panthers after the shutout victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the BB&T Center on May 10, 2021 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /
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Credit: Joel Auerbach/Getty Images
Credit: Joel Auerbach/Getty Images /

2. Goaltending

Two seasons into his seven-year, $70 million deal, it’s safe to say the Panthers haven’t gotten what they expected from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The fact that his 2.91 goals-against and .906 save percentage this year were improvements over last year says it all there. In essentially a typical season worth of games for the Panthers (81), Bobrovsky has a 3.10 GAA with one shutout. In his last two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, he had 14 shutouts. An optimist would say Bobrovsky has been playing better since early March, but that’s only compared to his overall Panthers’ resume.

But Florida has been able to weather Bobrovsky’s mediocrity this season. After a good small sample run last year (7-2-1, .938 save percentage, 2.05 GAA), Chris Driedger went 14-6 with a .927 save percentage, a 2.07 GAA and three shutouts during the regular season. Simply put, Driedger (.931 save percentage, 2.07 GAA) has outplayed Bobrovsky over the last two seasons (.902 save percentage, the aforementioned 3.10 GAA).

Bobrovsky is being paid to be the hot goalie who could carry the Panthers deep into the playoffs, but Driedger is looking more like that guy right now.

Another option in goal for the Panthers is 20-year old Spencer Knight, the 13th overall pick from the 2019 draft. He got his first taste of NHL action this season, with a 4-0 record, a 2.32 GAA and .919 save percentage in four games played (three starts).

Knight is definitely third in the pecking order, and he won’t have to play in an ideal playoff scenario for Florida. But if there’s a significant injury to Bobrovsky or Driedger, the Panthers won’t have to plum the depths too far to find another option in-goal.

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