Bobrovsky’s ‘sense of calm’ soothing to Panthers in Stanley Cup Final

That was the best way to describe Bobrovsky on Monday, in Game 3 of a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final that the Panthers now lead 2-1 against the Edmonton Oilers, with Game 4 to be played at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC). Amidst all the fireworks, all the punches thrown and goals scored, all the penalties taken and hits delivered, Bobrovsky was quietly there. Sometimes steady, sometimes spectacular, he was everything he needed to be.

“That’s what we’ve come to know from him,” Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “He’s all over the place, making insane saves, and then there’s a sense of calm in his game where he’s only challenging on what he needs to. It’s impressive to watch and it’s really fun to play in front of him.”

It is what Bobrovsky has been, again and again, through the past two runs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Panthers, rewriting the narrative that had settled in early in his days in South Florida, quietly entering himself into the record books and, likely, the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“If I thought I could take some credit for it, I’d feel really good about it,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “But what it is … it’s kind of a faith-builder when you look at people that do all the right things and put so much focus and attention into being great, into … the arduous pursuit of excellence without the guarantee of reward. He never wavered.

“From the start of training camp, he just did his thing and he worked hard at it. I’m sure there were times where he had to believe in himself very deeply to stay the course. And it was also a great payoff for him for all that work, just from a personal level.”

In each of the first two games of the series — each of which went to extra time — Bobrovsky made 42 saves on 46 shots. The Panthers lost the first, 4-3 in overtime, but won the second, 5-4 in double overtime.

Then, in Game 3, he allowed only a single goal, to forward Corey Perry, while making 32 saves on 33 shots in a 6-1 victory. He has a 2.15 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and three shutouts in 20 starts this postseason; in 114 career playoff games, he has a 2.72 GAA, .907 save percentage and six shutouts. He has now made 116 saves through three games of the series, tied for second most in the first three games of a Final; Tuukka Rask had 120 for the Boston Bruins in 2013 and Olie Kolzig had 116 for the Washington Capitals in 1998.