Panthers Cup-Winning Goalie Tandem to Face Off in Second Round

The mentor and the understudy will go to battle when the Florida Panthers face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round.

Florida Panthers goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Sergei Bobrovsky celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The second-round matchup between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs is rife with intriguing storylines. Florida will look to continue its Stanley Cup defense, Toronto will look to make it past the second round for the first time since 2002, and both teams will look to build on their momentum from dispatching an in-state/provincial rival.

To add one more to the pile, the goalie matchup will be a battle between master and apprentice, in a sense.

Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky needs no introduction, as with two Vezina Trophies and a Stanley Cup last year, he could very well find himself in the Hockey Hall of Fame when all is said and done. Toronto's Anthony Stolarz is more of an up-and-comer, as after serving as Bobrovsky's backup last season, he's had a terrific first season with the Maple Leafs to earn the starting job in the playoffs.

Now, Stolarz will look to dethrone his former team while helping the Maple Leafs in their long-standing championship pursuit. Though the matchup with Bobrovsky is obviously very intriguing, it's Matthew Tkachuk and the rest of the Panthers' skilled forwards that he's more worried about.

“It’s going to be like that against any team,” Stolarz said, per NHL.com. “Obviously, you look around the League, I’ve watched a lot of the playoff games. You look at how many pucks go low to high, ‘D’ shoot it, they get through and guys are either tipping or they go straight in. There’s a reason defenseman scoring goes up in the playoffs, because everyone knows you need to win those battles in the trenches.”

The competition between these two teams will be intense, especially after a heated second-round series in 2023. When taking a step back, though, Bobrovsky and Stolarz still have a great deal of respect for each other.

“We had the good relationship,” Bobrovsky said. “It was a good partnership last year, but (this series) is going to be good and it's going to be fun. He's a good goalie and going to be good challenge for us.”

Stolarz only appeared in one playoff game for the Panthers last year, as he replaced Bobrovsky in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers after the game was out of reach. Still, both goaltenders celebrated in style after bringing the trophy home.

They'll now have to go through each other if they want to make it back to that point, and it will be a great challenge for both of them.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Brady Tkachuk Sets Record Straight on Future with Senators
• Blues' Physicality Fueling Upset Chances
• Flyers Next Team to Watch in HC Carousel
• What to Watch For: Stars and Avalanche Game 7
• Wild's Playoff Woes Continue With Another First-Round Exit