SUNRISE — Sergei Bobrovsky gave up five goals on 15 shots for the Panthers on Monday, numbers that by any metric were not good.
He flipped things around Thursday.
In a game where shots were plentiful but goals were not, Bobrovsky made 31 saves and backstopped the Panthers to a 1-0 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Sam Reinhart’s shake-your-head goal in the first was all the Panthers got.
Thanks to Bobrovsky, it was all they needed.
“If you didn’t like one of Sergei’s games,’’ Paul Maurice said, “you are pretty sure you’re going to like the next one. He was right on tonight. And clean with everything he did. There was a lot of danger when you watch that game on video and will be really impressed with the deflections because there are wonderful hands on that team. He made some great saves.’’
You could just tell it was going to be one of those nights for Bobrovsky as he stopped one shot after another.
In the final 90 seconds of the game with Devils goalie Jake Allen on the bench, New Jersey came with everything it had.
Bobrovsky made five saves in the final minute-plus, securing his second shutout of the season and 51st of his Hall of Fame career.
“He’s our backbone,’’ Niko Mikkola said. “Those saves in the last minute, those were huge and gave us the two points. We’ll take it.”
Monday night, the Canucks had a handful of great scoring chances and scored on most of them.
Honestly, Bobrovsky was not all that bad in Monday’s 8-5 win — the Canucks were just that good when they got their chances.
There is no denying, however, that those numbers look ghastly.
After Thursday’s win, Bobrovsky was asked about the differences in the two games. Like many goalies, Bobrovsky is known to be better when there is more action.
Monday there were large swaths of time where Vancouver did not even have the puck. That was not the case Thursday.
“Every game is a different game,” Bobrovsky said. “I felt comfortable the last game, too. I did not feel uncomfortable. I was there, I was focused. They scored good goals, there were five, but good goals. I give them credit.
“But I felt great tonight as well. I played my game, I was focused and tried to help the guys as much as I could.”
Reinhart continued his torrid streak by scoring his ninth goal in the past 12th games with 7:02 left in the first.
Driving around the boards, Reinhart made a move toward the net, slipped the puck under the defending stick of Luke Hughes, then ripped off a shot that was so slick many in the crowd did not notice it went in at first.
The puck went off the shoulder of Allen and then in and out of the net so quick, only Reinhart’s reaction alerted the crowd that Florida took a 1-0 lead.
It was a thing of beauty and, thanks to Bobrovsky, it held up as the game winning goals.
“Their goalie was really good,” said Sheldon Keefe, now in his second season with the Devils after coaching the Maple Leafs.
“They got a world-class goal from a world-class player. That was the difference, ultimately.’’
Said Maurice: “Incredible shot. Really good release on that one. Not surprised.’’
The Panthers have won four of the past five games and are 7-3-1 in the past 11.
Now 11-8-1, the Panthers came into Friday a point out of the playoffs both behind Ottawa for third in the Atlantic as well as Pittsburgh and Washington for the final wild card spot.
The Panthers have a big one on Saturday as their old friends from Alberta come to town, the Edmonton Oilers — the team Florida has taken out in the past two Stanley Cup Final — coming off a 2-1 overtime loss in Tampa.
The Oilers are 9-9-5 and, like the Panthers, right in the thick of the playoff mix.
ON DECK: GAME No. 21
EDMONTON OILERS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
