Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville announced Tuesday morning that goaltender Chris Driedger will get the start for Game 2 of the club's first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Quenneville noted that his decision was "based on performance and based on opportunity" and not an indictment of Sergei Bobrovsky's play during Sunday's Game 1.
Bobrovsky made several key saves in Sunday's 5-4 Panthers loss, which saw multiple lead changes throughout the physical affair, but the final score opened the door to speculation that a change would be afoot -- especially considering the strong numbers Driedger has posted this season.
In 23 starts in 2020-21, the 27-year-old backup registered a 14-6-3 record, 2.07 goals-against average and .927 save percentage. While Bobrovsky (19-8-2, 2.91 GAA, .906 SV% in 31 appearances) remained the starter, he has struggled with consistency since landing in Florida and has been on a short leash considering the strength of his netminding peers in Driedger and newcomer Spencer Knight.
