The Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Tuesday with more game twos. There was an excellent game in south Florida as the Florida Panthers played the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the end, the Panthers won 3-2 in overtime on a game-winning goal by Panthers left winger Carter Verhaeghe of Hamilton, Ontario. With the win, the Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoff Series.
However, the highlight of the game was a save made by Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky of Novokuznetsk, Russia. You could make the argument that it was the best save Bobrovsky has ever made, and one of the best saves ever made in National Hockey League history by a goaltender without his hockey stick.
In Depth Look at the Save
Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli shot the puck off the boards. Lightning star Steven Stamkos got the rebound. Bobrovsky went to face Stamkos, however, Stamkos did not shoot, but passed the puck over to Lightning defenseman Mathew Dumba. In order to make the save, Bobrovsky used quick instincts. Without his stick, and he slid backwards, and with his back facing Dumba, made the remarkable save with his wrist. Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press called Bobrovsky’s achievement as “perhaps the save of the year.” You could go one step further, and call it the greatest save in recent memory.
Paul Maurice’s Reaction
When commenting on if he saw the save, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had a classic response. He admitted he did not see what happened because he was yelling at a Panthers player on the bench with “straight profanity.”
X Response
Here is some of the reaction from the X World (formerly Twitter).
Bobrovsky with a Sam Bankman-Ferda display of robbery. Maybe the save of the year. Absolutely psychotic. One second you think you have a goal, the next second some geek on a yacht in the virgin islands has your entire Bitcoin wallet pic.twitter.com/FsW3FbD4Qa
— Heatdaddy (@heatdaddy69420) April 24, 2024
Bobrovsky just made a RIDICULOUS save… Wow! 👀👀👀 #NHLPlayoffs
— Jermain Franklin (@TSNJFranklin) April 24, 2024
This Sergei Bobrovsky save will live on forever. The Panthers are up 2-0 in the series 🙂 https://t.co/lWB4T7bIhm pic.twitter.com/38ddXiTrwp
— y – Dylan (@miamiguydylan) April 24, 2024
This wasn’t just highway robbery by Sergei Bobrovsky, this was like a Ocean’s 11 bank heist. Unreal save. pic.twitter.com/tui5ti16bl
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 24, 2024
When is Game Three?
The series now shifts to Tampa Bay on Thursday with the Lightning now in a must win situation. Game time is 7 pm ET.
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