Goaltending is always a huge factor in the NHL playoffs, as you can't go on a deep run without someone getting hot between the pipes.
For the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, there was never any question this year that playoff success was contingent upon strong play from their respective goalies Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky.
Both netminders at their best are comfortably among the ranks of the NHL's elite in net, and they represent two generations of outstanding Russian goaltending.
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Sergei Bobrovsky broke into the NHL as a backup to another Russian, Ilya Bryzgalov, in Philadelphia, under current Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette.
Bryzgalov struggled but had a massive contract, meaning Bobrovsky got plenty of chances to show his worth, but couldn't break through as the starter as the Flyers couldn't outwardly give up on Bryzgalov.
He was sent to Columbus, where he quickly shined, looking like an elite NHL goalie for long stretches of time. There were warning signs, though, when he left Columbus in free agency for a massive contract in Florida.
That contract quickly looked disastrous for the Panthers, as "Bob" struggled mightily early on, and the Panthers had a surefire goalie prospect in Spencer Knight ready to take the reins. Then a funny thing happened, and Bobrovsky snapped back to dominance last season, absolutely setting the league on fire in the 2023 playoffs and re-establishing himself as a real option and a great one.
Shesterkin, on the other hand, has experienced no such turbulence in his young career. He was quickly heralded as the heir to King Henrik Lundqvist's throne as the franchise goalie of the Rangers.
The passing of that torch happened in the bubble in 2020, when the Rangers got swept by Carolina in a best-of-five series with an aging and declining Ludndqvist in net for the first two games. Shesterkin lost Game 3, but the decision to go with him marked the new era.
He immediately dominated after that. Shesterkin had the Rangers in the conference final in 2022, and he's consistently performed as a top five goalie in the league since taking the torch.
One of these Russians will have a shot at the Stanley Cup, and it's easy to see either of them stealing the series for their respective team.
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