Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was involved in his first career NHL fight, dropping the gloves with San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.
Despite a 4-1 Florida Panthers loss to the San Jose Sharks, the organization was thrilled to welcome Matthew Tkachuk back into their lineup and witness their superstar goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky drop the gloves.
The Panthers trailed the Sharks 3-1 in the third period when a scrum in the Sharks’ end ensued. The Sharks were unhappy with a hit Evan Rodrigues threw on Vincent Desharnais, which prompted goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to join the action.
Nedeljkovic’s involvement angered Sergei Bobrovsky, who flew down the ice and dropped his gloves. The two goaltenders threw some punches, but missed many and were each given five-minute majors for fighting.
“I felt it was too much,” said Bobrovsky. “Over the line. I wanted to make sure to get in and let him know.”
The Panthers continued their efforts to make a comeback, throwing 17 shots on goal in the third period and 36 in total, but Nedeljkovic stood tall and turned away 35 shots.
“When one of our best players is kind of going out of his comfort zone – or any goalie’s comfort zone – it’s probably a little bit of a spark. ... We pushed, but couldn’t quite get it,” said Tkachuk. “We need to use that fire ... and use it on this next road trip.”
“I just got finished telling him how f***ing awesome that was. We loved it,” said defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
Sergei Bobrovsky Looks To Bounce Back After Nine-Goal Outing As Panthers Host Macklin Celebrini And The SharksFlorida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is looking to bounce back against the San Jose Sharks tonight after allowing nine goals in his last appearance. The fight demonstrated Bobrovsky’s emotion and devotion to the Panthers, but it was once again a night that Bobrovsky finished with a sub-900 save percentage, allowing three goals on 27 shots. His save percentage this season is at .875, and it’s simply not good enough for the Panthers to make the playoffs.
The hope is that the recent emotion can spark a turnaround in Bobrovsky’s season.
“That was exciting, for sure,” said Bobrovsky. “That was great and emotional. I did not know that there would be that much [chanting], but it was a good feeling.”
The Panthers now depart for a three-game road trip with matchups against the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Category: General Sports
