Series in brief: Sergei Bobrovsky steals the show in game #1 of the final

After an interminable wait of five consecutive days without National Hockey League hockey, the Stanley Cup Finals finally got underway last night in Sunrise.

We were treated to the first game of the final series, as the Edmonton Oilers were in Florida to take on the Panthers.

And as expected, it was a very close and physical game.

Sergei Bobrovsky single-handedly wins Game #1

Even though there were only three goals in Game #1, including one in an empty net, it was a very interesting game from start to finish.

The Panthers went in search of a very big 3-0 victory in this first game, but they can say a big thank you to their goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky.

Without him, the Oilers could clearly have won this game, as they dominated it from start to finish.

After just one period, the Oilers led 12-4 in shots, but the Panthers were ahead 1-0 thanks to a goal by Carter Verhaeghe (now known as Mr. Series) on Florida’s first shot of the game.

CARTER VERHAEGHE

The franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer in the #StanleyCup Playoffs gives the @FlaPanthers a 1-0 lead in Game 1!

: ABC & @ESPNPlus https://t.co/Pp9X7OGP3W
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/x37mJIFJid

– NHL (@NHL) June 9, 2024

Gives you an idea of the kind of game we were treated to.

In short, no matter what the Oilers tried in this game, Sergei Bobrovsky was there with big saves and spectacular saves.

BOBROVSKY

Some early brilliance from Bob in this one! #StanleyCup

: ABC & @ESPNPlus https://t.co/Pp9X7OGP3W
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/sY8QlES7i3

– NHL (@NHL) June 9, 2024

In the second period, once again in the opening minutes, the Panthers managed to double their lead on only their fifth shot of the game, when Evan Rodrigues benefited from a superb pass from Sam Bennett.

The Cats keep pouncing all over the loose pucks and they now have a 2-0 lead! #StanleyCup

: ABC & @ESPNPlus https://t.co/Pp9X7OGP3W
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/fwbsjB13Sb

– NHL (@NHL) June 9, 2024

And once again, as with the first goal, it was the pairing of Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci that did the hard work for the Oilers.

In short, the Panthers were opportunistic, finding the back of the net on their best scoring opportunities, while Sergei Bobrovsky closed the door on the Oilers’ complete domination (32-18 in shots).

Midway through the second period, Bobrovsky added to his tally with his best save of the game.

In short, Bob was perfect last night, recording a shutout in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

He is the oldest goaltender to achieve this feat in Game #1 of the Stanley Cup Final, and the first to do so since Roberto Luongo in 2011.

It’s worth noting that teams with a shutout in Game #1 of the Finals have won the Cup 6 of 8 times.

This is also a 13ᵉ win for Bobrovsky in these series, which is a record for a goalkeeper in Panthers history.

Sergei Bobrovsky posted the first #StanleyCup Final shutout in franchise history and helped the @FlaPanthers take a lead in the championship series for the first time.#NHLStats: https://t.co/4fLCGAdT1Z pic.twitter.com/qCxY2Le80g

– NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 9, 2024

The Panthers’ goaltender has clearly gotten into the heads of the Oilers’ players, and it will be very interesting to see how the rest of the series plays out.

Game #2 of the series takes place on Monday at 8pm.

The Panthers lead the series 1-0.

In a gust

– Here’s the final result.

– Here are the top scorers from Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

– Game #2 of the series takes place tomorrow at 8pm.