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Stanley Cup Final: 3 reasons why the Panthers will win and 2 reasons they won’t

By Marci Rubin

May 24, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers teammates pose for a photo with NHL senior executive vice president & chief branding officer Brian Jennings and the Prince of Wales trophy after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers teammates pose for a photo with NHL senior executive vice president & chief branding officer Brian Jennings and the Prince of Wales trophy after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 24, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) takes the ice prior to game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) takes the ice prior to game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Reasons why the Panthers will win: 3. Sergei Bobrovsky’s goaltending has been unbelievable

Goalie Sergei Bobrovksy has been unreal for Florida during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bobrovsky is a powerful and athletic goalie who has won the NHL’s Vezina Trophy twice. He has played in the NHL for 13 seasons. Bobrosvky has a record of 11-2 with a .935 SV% and a 2.21 GAA during the 2023 playoffs. His stats are even better than during the regular season. He had a .901 SV% and a 3.07 GAA.  Bobrovsky missed a few playoff starts against Boston due to an illness, but he has been hard to beat ever since.

Florida’s other goalie, Alex Lyon, recently spoke about Bobrovsky’s success, as reported by Kristen Shilton of ESPN. “It’s like a writer being in a room with Ernest Hemingway,” Lyon said. “To see him operate on a daily basis, that’s literally like striking gold.”

One of the biggest tests for Bobrovsky during the playoffs was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes. Bobrosky made 63 saves in a quadruple-overtime win.

At 34 years old, Bobrovsky may not see many more chances like this one to win the Stanley Cup. With this in mind, the veteran is playing his heart out. If Florida can wear down Vegas’ strong goalie, Adin Hill, and Bobrovsky stays as solid as he’s been, the Panthers will come away with the victory.

Now, let’s look at two roadblocks that could prevent the Panthers from taking the Cup.

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