Florida Panthers v Carolina Hurricanes - Game Two

Vegas Golden Knights-Florida Panthers Stanley Cup Final features rare 'backup' goalie matchup

Modified May 30, 2023 21:48 GMT

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Dallas Stars 6-0 in Game 6 on Monday to advance to their second Stanley Cup Final in five years. Already waiting for them are the Florida Panthers, who swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the East.

There are a ton of tidbits to dive into between these two teams. But the most interesting storyline likely comes in the crease.

For what has to be the first time in NHL history, both teams will start the Stanley Cup Final with goaltenders that were backups to begin the playoffs. That is bizarre.

Sergei Bobrovsky's cements his place in Florida Panthers

At the start of the postseason, the Florida Panthers turned to 30-year-old Alex Lyon. He had come alive at the end of the regular season and his success was the driving force in the Panthers making the playoffs.

However, after Lyon struggled and the Panthers faced a series deficit at the hands of the Boston Bruins, the Cats turned to veteran Sergei Bobrovsky. The former Vezina Trophy winner and elite playoff performer with the Columbus Blue Jackets had a rough regular season, posting a .901 save percentage and a 3.07 goals-against average.

However, after playing in relief of Lyon in Game 3, Bobrovsky won three of his next four starts and pushed the Panthers past the Bruins in seven games. In the second and third rounds, Bobrovsky was the best player in the entire field.

In five games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and four against the Hurricanes, his worst performance was a .917 percent that Florida won. He allowed two goals. And that would be the theme, as Bobrovsky allowed two or fewer goals in every game up until the final game against Carolina, where he allowed three. In there was also one shutout and 65 and 52 save nights.

Vegas Golden Knights settle on Adin Hill

On the other end, the Vegas Golden Knights have been dealing with a revolving crease all season. In Game 1 against the Winnipeg Jets, the Knights turned to 30-year-old Laurent Brossoit. He was up and down over the five-game series but remained the starter in round two.

In Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers, Brossoit left the game with an injury in the first period. In came Adin Hill.

Hill had come in as a relief in Game 2, when he stopped all four shots faced in the third period. In Game 3, he was perfect again, this time making 24 saves in a Vegas win.

From that point, Hill was the guy. In 10 games, Hill is 7-3 with a .940 save percentage and two shutouts. That is just slightly better than his counterpart for the Panthers.

So, it's a battle of the 'backups' in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.