Florida Panthers News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky defends the net against the New York Rangers in the 2026 Winter Classic ice hockey game at loanDepot Park (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky Is Struggling Mightly Recently

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Joey Ganzi | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 9:25 AM ET

The Florida Panthers are fighting for their playoff lives as they recently entered the second half of their 2025-26 campaign. With a record of 24-18-3 and 51 points, they sit two points out of the final wild card spot controlled by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team has dropped six of its last ten and is looking to get back into the swing of things for the postseason. They look to become the first team since the New York Islanders to win three straight Stanley Cups.

Along with their struggles, the man between the pipes has not looked great in recent weeks. This is in reference to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who’s had an awful stretch as of late.

Bobrovsky Has Not Been Great

Bobrovsky’s stats over the last week have been very subpar. In eight of his last nine starts, he’s had a save percentage (SV%) below .900. In that same span, he’s had a goals-against average of 3.16.

This brings his totals for the season to a SV% of .881, a GAA of 2.90, and three shutouts. The defense has managed to play its part by averaging 22 shots allowed per game and a strong penalty kill rate of 90% over the last two weeks. With that in mind, he needs to get back to playing at his Vezina Trophy-winning level.

Father Time Seems to Have the Upper Hand

As it happens to us all, age has seemed to have a grip on Bobrovsky. He just turned 37 back in September and will be 38 prior to the start of next season.

Unfortunately, that 37 mark seems to be a drop-off year for even the best goaltenders in the NHL. For example, Marc-Andre Fleury had some great numbers with the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020-21 season, when he was 35. When he turned 37, his numbers began to dip slowly. In the 2023-24 season, he had a good SV% of .908 with the Chicago Blackhawks and .910 with the Minnesota Wild, but his GAA between the two was 2.84. In his time with Chicago that season, it was 2.95. His numbers continued to dip with his SV% going below .900 in his last two years in the league. This might be the reason for Bobrovsky’s struggles, as Father Time still remains undefeated.

The Future in Net Is Changing Rapidly

With Bobrovsky’s performance as of late, the team has looked into giving their backup, Daniil Tarasov, more starts. In his last start against the strong Colorado Avalanche, he stopped 28 of 29 and posted a .964 SV%.

In addition to Tarasov’s performances, Bobrovksy is in the final year of his current contract, and there have been no talks of a potential extension. Fans could be seeing the future between the pipes changing dramatically.

What’s Next for Bobrovsky?

Everything is up in the air this season for the Panthers, as it’s been a rollercoaster type of year for them. From the injuries to the streakiness of their action on the ice, there’s so much unexpected potential for the second half of their campaign.

But regardless, Bobrovsky has to find a way to rebound his stats and in a hurry. The playoffs are slowly coming back into play with two straight wins. But if he falters, the team will lose their grip on a postseason berth.