Panthers stick with Driedger for Game 3, not worried about Barkov’s ice time

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville is sticking with Game 2 starter Chris Driedger in net for Game 3 on Thursday night in Tampa Bay, he said over web conference after Thursday’s morning skate at Amalie Arena.

Driedger made 26 saves on 28 Lightning shots on Tuesday night as Tampa Bay added a late empty-net goal for a 3-1 win to put the Panthers down 2-0 in the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

When Sergei Bobrovsky got the Game 1 start, he allowed five goals on 40 Lightning shots — three of them on power plays.

“I thought he played well,” Quenneville said Thursday morning of Driedger’s Tuesday start. “We didn’t give him any [goal] support last game. I think, in front of him, he didn’t get the workload that Bob saw, at the same time. It wasn’t an easy decision, to say the least.

“I think Bob certainly had some merit, discussion, as well. And I think that was the move.”

After Quenneville got a feeler for both goaltenders in the first two home games of the series, he opted to give the 27-year-old coming off his first playoff start another shot over Bobrovsky, who is two years into the seven-year, $70 million deal he signed with the Panthers in 2019.

In the regular season, Driedger, who is an impeding free agent and making $850,000 this season, got 23 starts to Bobrovsky’s 30 but ranked fourth in the NHL with his .927 save percentage and fifth with a 2.07 goals against average.

At the time of Bobrovsky’s signing, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner (2013, 2017) was 30 and coming off of a sweep of the Lightning in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ colossal first-round upset of Tampa Bay in the 2019 playoffs. Bobrovsky is due $6 million in base salary each of the next two seasons and $5 million each of the following three seasons.

Barkov’s ice time

Panthers star center Aleksander Barkov spent a whopping 26:28 on the ice in the team’s Game 2 loss on Tuesday. Quenneville said after Thursday’s morning skate he’ll be watchful of his 25-year-old All-Star’s minutes but isn’t concerned that it’s an issue.

“I think playoffs you’re playing to win, and I think, having options, you’re aware of these situations going forward,” Quenneville said. “Sometimes, you’ve got overtime games that you’ve got to manage guys playing even more minutes, and you look at it the next day, get proper rest, how you’re going to feel going into the following game. A lot of top players, some games, they’re going to get exposed to different kinds of numbers.

“Sometimes, you go not as deep in certain situations, and the games have been very intense and very close. I think that’s a big factor.”

Barkov’s time on ice in Game 2 was the most he had seen in the his two years under Quenneville. It’s the most he has played in a 60-minute hockey game since Dec. 15, 2018, when he was on the ice for 27:42 and had a hat trick in a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

But Quenneville trusts Barkov’s professionalism in keeping himself rested and ready between games.

“Barky’s a tremendous athlete, as far as how he takes care of himself away from the ice, and he’ll make sure he’s more than ready and max out going into the following game,” Quenneville said.

The three postseason instances where Barkov spent more time on the ice than he did Tuesday were three Panthers overtime losses to the New York Islanders when they went down in that first-round series in 2016.

Bennett back

One factor that could alleviate Barkov’s ice time is that Panthers center Sam Bennett returns to the lineup on Thursday after being suspended for Game 2 on Tuesday night. How much could his return help after Florida was bottled up by the Lightning defense last time out?

“I think, with him, he’s been outstanding since he’s been here with us. Gives us a lot of opportunities, and plays in all situations,” Quenneville said of the forward added from the Calgary Flames at the trade deadline. “He gets into the hard areas. He brings hat physicality that you appreciate. … Adding that element of grit and character to our team has been well-received.

Quenneville also didn’t feel that Bennett needs to make any dramatic change to his play after his penalty for boarding the Lightning’s Blake Coleman in Game 1.

“One moment, you can say you can’t judge everything off one play there. We’re moving forward,” he said. “What he’s brought to our team has been noticed and appreciated. We’re going to need his presence, adds to all three situations — when I say that, [power play, penalty kill] and regular shifts.”