Stanley Cup Final: Golden Knights chase Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 2

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was pulled from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final after surrendering four goals to the Vegas Golden Knights in 27 minutes.

Bobrovsky entered the Final as the presumptive Conn Smythe Trophy favourite but he crashed back down to Earth in Game 1 and allowed four goals on 13 shots.

It wasn’t completely Bobrovsky’s fault. Jonathan Marchessault opened the scoring for the Golden Knights on the power play, roofing a perfectly placed wrist shot without any Panthers defenders converging on him.

Bobrovsky allowed a soft second goal. Alec Martinez scored his first goal of the postseason after flubbing a pass and Bobrovsky dropped down, expecting a low shot. Martinez regained his composure and beat Bobrovsky high, as he committed to the shot attempt too early and the Golden Knights took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy also scored on a shot that Bobrovsky ought to have stopped, picking up a loose puck off the boards, weaving to the front of the net, before beating the Panthers’ goaltender short-side for a 3-0 lead. Roy seemingly couldn’t believe his luck and frankly, nor could many of the viewers at home.

You couldn’t necessarily fault Bobrovsky for the fourth goal as Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone entered the offensive zone with speed, Stone then found a cutting Brett Howden, who tucked the puck into an open cage, flying at full speed after he wasn’t picked up by any Panthers defender.

At this point, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice mercifully pulled Bobrovsky with 12 minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the second period, almost certainly to send a message to the rest of the skaters. Bobrovsky’s superhuman performance through the playoffs led the Panthers to the Final, they wouldn’t be here without his heroics but his scorching form hasn’t held up against the Golden Knights.

It’s now up to Alex Lyon to change the momentum for the Panthers.