After their stunning upset against the Boston Bruins in the first round, the Florida Panthers are off to a hot start in Round 2. On Thursday, the Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
As was the case in the first round, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was a big part of Florida’s two upset wins in Toronto. He’s saved 94.5% of the shots in the series, making 34 saves in Game 1 as the Panthers beat the Leafs 4-2 and 35 in the Game 2 win. What does his opposite number, Toronto goalie, Ilya Samsonov, think about Bobrovsky’s performance? Apparently not much.
After Game 2, Samsonov was asked if he took Bobrovsky’s strong play as a challenge. He responded with a blunt message.
“I don’t give a —-.” When asked why, Samsonov said, “It doesn’t matter to me. I’m doing my work. He’s doing his work.”
Ilya Samsonov did not hold back when asked about Sergei Bobrovsky playing well in the series. pic.twitter.com/VrtMR2kLgO
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) May 5, 2023
While he’s faced fewer shots than Bobrovsky, Samsonov has struggled. He’s saved 89% of his shots, making 28 saves in Game 1 and 29 in Game 2.
The Maple Leafs haven’t won or even appeared in a Stanley Cup Finals since 1967 and haven’t reached the Conference Finals since 2002. The series, of course, is not over. But trailing 0-2 with the series now heading to Florida for the next two game, the Maple Leafs are facing an uphill climb.
[JayonSC]
