SUNRISE — Sergei Bobrovsky will be headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame once his career is over, yet Monday night’s game against Vancouver will probably not be remembered in a few weeks much less mentioned in his acceptance speech.
Goalies try and forget nights in which they give up five goals on 15 shots.
Yet in the end, Bobrovsky and his Panthers got the win.
And that is really all Bobrovsky cares about.
Florida’s 8-5 rollercoaster against the Canucks on Monday turned out to be win No. 438 in Bobrovsky’s fantastic career, victory which put him ahead of Jacques Plante for ninth place on the NHL’s all-time list.
Bobrovsky is five victories behind Terry Sawchuk for eighth in NHL history.
A two-time Vezina Trophy winner who is also a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers, Bobrovsky was — as he often is — quite reflective after Monday night’s victory despite the below-average stat line.
“Look at that list,’’ said Bobrovsky, whose career numbers are in an exclusive neighborhood with the likes of Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo.
“It’s amazing. I was looking up at those goalies, trying to be like them. For me to be on the list as them, it’s impressive and unbelievable. I thank God for the journey. It has been amazing. I appreciate everything.’’
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It really is amazing to see what Bobrovsky has done in his 16 NHL seasons and where he is right now.
Will he ever hit the heights of Martin Brodeur who is the all-time leader with 691 victories?
Probably not.
But what Bobrovsky has done is most impressive.
Since joining the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 as an undrafted free agent, Bobrovsky has his 438 wins in 768 games.
Of the goalies above Bobrovsky on the win list, only Lundqvist — who has 459 victories and sits in sixth — has played fewer than 900 games.
Fittingly, Bobrovsky got a win in his NHL debut on Oct. 7, 2010, with 29 saves in a 3-2 win at Pittsburgh.
Overall, Bobrovsky has 183 wins in seven seasons with the Panthers, 213 with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and 42 with the Flyers.
His victories make him the most successful Russian-born goalie ever. Evgeni Nabokov is 24th on the list with 353 career wins.
The other day, while watching highlights on NHL Network in the Panthers’ dressing room, Bobrovsky was asked about playing for the Flyers.
“That seems like a lifetime ago,’’ Bobrovsky said. “Honestly, so does Columbus.’’
It certainly has been a long and winding road to where he is now.
And Bobrovsky is not one to look back.
He does seem to enjoy playing the Flyers (who gave up on him by trading him to Columbus in the first place) and Columbus where, before Florida, he had his most success and professes a special place in his heart.
Bobrovsky appears to be at complete peace with his life, his faith, and with his standing in the history of a game he truly has a passion for.
His No. 72 will almost assuredly be hanging from the rafters in South Florida one day, likely in Columbus as well.
Not that he is looking ahead to that.
He has a game against Brodeur’s Devils on Thursday, after all.
“I’m excited going forward, I’m excited for next game,’’ Bobrovsky said. “I’m excited to be here and play this game. That’s my passion. That’s what I love and with blessings from God it’s all possible.”
Aside from the win, Monday night’s game is probably one he may like to forget.
Things got off to a rough start.
In the first period, Drew O’Connor and Jake DeBrusk scored just 24 seconds apart, giving the Canucks a 2-0 lead on only five shots.
The Panthers answered with five straight goals to take what looked like a commanding 5-2 lead. Only the feisty Canucks went to work and tied it up on a pair of goals from Elias Pettersson as well as Filip Hronek’s first of the season.
Less than a minute after Vancouver tied the score at 5, Sam Bennett tipped in a shot from Niko Mikkola, putting the Panthers ahead for good.
Seth Jones, Bobrovsky’s old teammate in Columbus, ended the night with a pair of power-play goals; Sam Reinhart had three assists.
The Panthers helped their guy out, placing a franchise-record 16 players on the scoresheet.
Bobrovsky, believe it or not, was one of them.
He had the secondary assist on Jones’ first goal with the advantage which tied the score at 2 going into the second period.
“I enjoy every moment, every day I come here and get to put the gear on,’’ Bobrovsky said last season. “Whether it is practice or a game, I love having fun with the guys. And I work for them and try to be there when they need me. It is a privilege to play for this team.’’
Bobrovsky’s NHL career has certainly had its ups and downs.
As a rookie with the Flyers, he quickly became their top goalie and put up strong numbers and Philadelphia made it through two playoff rounds.
His second season didn’t go as well, and fellow Russian Ilya Bryzgalov took over as the starting goalie.
Bobrovsky was traded to Columbus in the offseason and he became a star.
Columbus struggled in the playoffs over the years, and Bobrovsky had some run-ins with coach John Tortorella.
After losing to the Penguins in the 2017 playoffs, the Blue Jackets suggested he visit a sports phycologist to get over his postseason doldrums, something he took personally.
In 2018, he and the Jackets lost to Washington in the first round but Bobrovsky was good in that series — and called out Columbus management for their previous suggestion.
In 2019, Bobrovsky and Columbus stunned the hockey world with a sweep of the top-seeded Lightning; he would play his final series for the Blue Jackets in the second-round loss to the Bruins.
The Panthers, after all, were waiting with a big check and, more importantly, a fresh start in the sun.
“I am excited about this opportunity because I have been working my whole life for this,’’ Bobrovsky said on July 2, 2019.
“I look forward to keep proving to the people who put their trust and faith in me that they were right to do so.’’
Bobrovsky is now in the final season of the seven-year, $70 million contract he signed with Dale Tallon to replace Luongo in 2019.
Although Bobrovsky struggled in his first few years with the Panthers which lead many to question if the signing was a good move, he turned things around once Bill Zito reshaped the team — and hired Paul Maurice as coach.
The rest, as they say, is history.
And, as Bobrovsky likes to look ahead, so do the Panthers.
They traded Spencer Knight to the Blackhawks last year knowing they had Bobrovsky in the fold.
He may be 37, but the team feels his best days may just be ahead.
Which is saying something.
“The future of the Florida Panthers is Sergei Bobrovsky,” Maurice said days after Knight was traded to Chicago for Jones last March.
“This guy is in his prime. You want to look at his age? That’s fine. But he is in his prime right now. He is playing the best hockey he has ever played, he feels good. I don’t think we’re looking too far down the road. We’re also not saying that no one expires here at a certain age.
“But Bobrovsky is playing in his prime right now. He could play another five years if he wants.”
Maybe he will.
ON DECK: GAME No. 20
NEW JERSEY DEVILS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
