There is a very clear divide, DMZ, fault line, demarcation - whatever you want to call it, in Sergei Bobrovsky’s 2016-2017 season. This line appears at a very specific time, a moment that has unfortunately appeared at the exact same time in previous seasons.
This line is between the end of the regular season and the playoffs.
This past season, Goalie Bob was absolutely stellar in the regular season, but when the games mattered the most, he struggled. Goalies can steal series, even ‘Cups, and for a young team like the Jackets they needed Bob to steal a game or two for a chance to move on to the second round of the playoffs.