Sergei Bobrovsky, the goaltender for the Florida Panthers, had a tough game against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. He was pulled from the game after allowing five goals on just 16 shots, resulting in an 8-1 loss for the Panthers at Rogers Place.
The turning point came when Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse scored his first goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at 4:59 of the second period, giving the Oilers a commanding 5-1 lead. That was when Bobrovsky was replaced by Anthony Stolarz, who made his first appearance in an NHL playoff game. Stolarz faced 19 shots and allowed three goals during his time in the net.
Bobrovsky had been performing well in the postseason leading up to this game, with a record of 15-5, a 2.07 goals-against average, .916 save percentage, and two shutouts in 20 playoff games. However, he struggled in Game 4 after allowing only four goals in the previous three games of the Cup Final, including a shutout in Game 1 where he made 32 saves.
Despite the loss, the Panthers still hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series against the Oilers. Game 5 is scheduled to take place at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, and CBC.
This game serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports, where even top performers can have off nights. It will be interesting to see how Bobrovsky and the Panthers bounce back in Game 5 and if they can close out the series to secure the Stanley Cup. The pressure is on for the Panthers to regroup and come back stronger in the next game.