Jean-Sébastien Giguère won the 2003 Conn-Smythe Trophy, although he didn’t win the Stanley Cup that year with the Anaheim Ducks. Four years later, he led the Ducks to their first win by defeating the Ottawa Senators in the Finals.
• Also read: NHL Playoffs: Perfect Bobrovsky
• Also read: Sergei Bobrovsky: the “backbone” of the Panthers
Giguère knows exactly what the pressure means for a goaltender in the playoffs. In a phone interview with the Journal the day after that Florida Panthers’ 1-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, he couldn’t help but smile when someone spoke to him about Sergei Bobrovsky and his storied career since the beginning of the series.
“I think Bobrovsky has the same feeling right now that I had during my great seasons with the Ducks,” he replied. But it’s really difficult to figure out what puts you in an unbeatable zone.
“It feels like the pucks that weren’t supposed to hit you are hitting you. There were times when I didn’t even see the puck and made a save. The same goes for Bob. If things don’t go well, you can do the exact same move and reading, but the puck refuses to hit you.
Giguère did not identify any specific element in Bobrovsky’s technique that could explain his return to the top.
“In my eyes there is one very important aspect and that is his preparation,” he said. Without good preparation he cannot reach this level. He doesn’t increase his level of play by accident. As the series progresses, he becomes more dominant.
“I didn’t notice a certain technical aspect. He’s always in the right place, he moves well and he’s fast. Bob is an NHL veteran. He also worked for a long time with Robbie Tallas as a goalkeeping coach. He’s really confident. The biggest difference is probably on the mental level. The head is in the same place as the body. He is feeling well.”
Giguère is the last NHL player to have his name engraved on the Conn Smythe Trophy without winning. In 2003, Martin Brodeur and the Devils defeated the Ducks in seven games.
in an area
The Journal interviewed two goalkeeping coaches to analyze Bobrovsky’s game. At the start of the playoffs, the number 72 wasn’t even Paul Maurice’s right hand. His first start came in Game 4 of the first round against the Boston Bruins, replacing Alex Lyon.
Since then, Bobrosvky is 10-2 with a 2.15 GAA and a .935 save ratio.
“My answer will probably be boring. Above all, I see a goalkeeper with absolute self-confidence. He sees the puck as big as a beach ball and feels the game is slowing down. He exudes confidence. And his teammates feel it. He also eliminated two big teams from the start, the Bruins and the Maple Leafs. That’s huge for his confidence.”
This reply came from a professional goalkeeping coach who asked not to be identified.
From Kiprusoff to Bobrovsky
The other spy is David Marcoux, the former goalkeeping coach of the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes.
“Bobrosvky has always had sporting qualities,” said Marcoux, who still runs a goalkeeping school in Calgary. He has what it takes to dominate at the NHL level. He has already done this in the past by winning the Vézina twice (2013 and 2017). But he found a way to bring all the ingredients back together during the most wonderful time of the year. When I think back to my years with Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary, I see Kipper in Bob.
“Bobrovksy has good movements, he’s flexible in his hands, he covers the bottom of the net very well and he has the instinct to read the game well. I also like his skating skills and his numerous harpoon attacks to block passes or redirect pucks. He’s in top form.”
Less shots…
Trailing 3-0 in this Eastern final, the Hurricanes will now be holding onto every ounce of hope. There may be a solution for Giguère. And it’s not what you might think.
“The Hurricanes have chances, but they don’t score,” said the Hartford Whalers’ former first-round pick in 1995. I think they should change their approach. They say they need to take more shots and not waste them. In my opinion, they would benefit from doing the opposite. Fewer shots, but better shots. You have no choice but to make him move even more. Often you can reach the goal with another pass instead of a shot. He’s so zoned that he blocks every shot he can see.
The Bobrovsky mystery remains unsolved for Hurricanes players
Jesperi Kotkaniemi wasn’t laughing as he returned to the dressing room after he and his teammates fell victim to a perfect night by Sergei Bobrovsky.
We can say that a picture is worth a thousand words. The sequence, in which we see the former Canada striker smashing his stick about three times, boils down to one thing: frustration.
We would be less. Kotkaniemi and his team-mates are on the brink after losing three games by just a goal, including two in overtime.
Bobrovsky appears to be a more difficult puzzle to solve than Caramilk, the Pyramids of Egypt, and the Cities of Gold combined.
The 34-year-old goalie is on his way to the Conn Smythe Trophy. He’s been tenacious since replacing Alex Lyon in Game 3 of the first-round series against the Bruins.
Statistics on the rise
His save percentage of .935 and goal-over-average of 2.15 represent significant improvements over regular-season stats (.901 and 3.07).
The question we can ask is: are we seeing a resurgence of Bobrovsky, the Panthers’ $10M man, or has Paul Maurice managed to top the cake of his defensive recipe?
The statistics compiled by the company Sportlogiq show that the first hypothesis is correct.
Since the start of the playoffs, the Panthers have had worse defensive stats than they did in the regular season. Luckily Bobrovsky holds the fort. He currently dominates the league’s goalies with 0.72 goals saved per game.
In the regular season, he had a negative score (-0.37), meaning he conceded more goals than he normally should have.
Discreet Attackers
The Russian keeper has stopped the last 67 shots he’s faced and 110 of the last 111 Rod Brind’Amour’s men sent him. Defender Jalen Chatfield is the last to brag about defeating him in the first period of Game 2.
Also, if the Hurricanes are to turn the tide (good luck!), they definitely need a bigger contribution from the forwards. They still haven’t managed to reach the Panthers’ balanced net.
Jordan Martinook was the last to do so in Game 4 of the series against the Devils. We’re talking a 349m 10s drought. We understand the Hurricanes have dominated the league’s defenders with 59 goals in the regular season, but it’s going to need a little help from them.