NHL | (B) huge intervention! Florida celebrates the show of the Russian goalkeeper

The 35-year-old goalkeeper blew kisses to the spectators in the hall after the match, and the response was thunderous applause. Just for the extra piece at the end of the second period, he undoubtedly deserved it.

Anthony Cirelli’s shot bounced off the back bar to Steven Stamkos, who had perfect vision and sent the puck in a flash in front of the goal, where it went down from the blue line to defender Matt Dumba. Bobrovsky was moving against Stamkos, and at one point the Florida posts were completely deserted. The Lightning backhand finished with a backhand and it looked like a clear goal. But the Panthers goalie left his stick with his stick and, with his back to the shooter, rushed into the goal area, from where he hit the puck over the line with his left hand. What?!?

“I saw it from the substitution and I was shocked,” even Florida defender Aaron Ekblad didn’t understand. “But you like to watch moments like this.” The arena was on its feet.

Out of desperation, the goalkeeper more easily decides on unconventional solutions. And Bobrovsky didn’t have many other options. “The first shot missed the goal and then I was a little late behind the (Tampy) play. I desperately tried to reach for the goal as much as possible and somehow I managed to save it,” snorted the two-time Vezina Trophy winner, who had 21 successful saves.

The Panthers won the second match 3:2, but this time thanks to Carter Verhaeghe’s backhand loop from the 63rd minute. Florida has won 11 straight overtimes in the playoffs since 2021!

Home provocateur Matthew Tkachuk, who after the winning goal slipped over Andrey Vasilevsky, then made sure that the Russian remembered it well in the Tampa goal. Although the Lightning goalie had 34 saves and kept the visitors’ hopes of a series tie for a long time, all of his saves were overshadowed by Bobrovsky’s masterpiece in the second period.