The Florida Panthers look to be making a change in goal as they try to hold off being eliminated from the first round of the 2020-21 NHL playoffs. Rookie goalie Spencer Knight — the first goaltender born in the 2000s to appear in an NHL game — may start instead of Sergei Bobrovsky and Chris Driedger. It’s a huge moment for Knight, with some huge responsibility, especially when you consider how young a prospect he is with no playoff experience.
With the Panthers trailing their best-of-seven series 3-1, Knight, 20, will come in after sitting the first four games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. When he was in the starters net for practice on Monday and part of Sunday, media and insiders started putting the pieces together and picking up on the clues.
Head coach Joel Quenneville said only that it “could be” Knight who would suit up Monday evening. He added, “I think that goaltending in this series, everybody has had some good and bad, and with Spencer I think he gives you an option, something to consider.”
The theory is that the one, the Panthers have to go for it. On the verge of being eliminated, what do they have to lose by seeing if Knight can come up big in one of the biggest of situations? If Bobrovsky and Drieger aren’t getting it done, maybe Knight can. Second, it’s that Knight deserves a shot. “I think his track record earned him that consideration,” Quenneville added.
Knight went 4-0-0 with a 2.32 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in four games for the Panthers this season. It’s a small sample size, but perhaps enough of one to suggest that he’s got the goods to surprise the Lightning and spark the Panthers towards an unlikely comeback. He’s the future in goal for the team, which is ironic considering how much the Panthers invested in Bobrovsky.
Knight’s Teammates Have Confidence in Him
As per a report by NHL.com, Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. “It’s weird because he’s already got the routine down, everything is already so elite and so high level that when he gets in the net you trust him already. If he does get a chance to play, I can’t wait to play in front of him. I think he’s a great goalie. He’s a great guy. ” Reading between the lines here, if the players have total confidence in the young goalie already, the coach probably has the confidence to push all his chips in and place a good of the pressure on the young man’s shoulders.
Being on the big stage is nothing new for Knight. He helped the United States finish first at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship and finished with five wins, three shutouts, a 1.63 GAA, .939 save percentage. There’s good reason to be confident he can get the job done.
The Panthers need him to step in and put on a strong performance, not just in the short-term, but in the long-term since there are serious questions about the team’s other two netminders.
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