from David Dwork of The Hockey News,

Goaltending played a major role in the Florida Panthers reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

The importance lies not only in the skill, but also in the depth of the position, which for Florida was put on display by AHL veteran Alex Lyon in the final weeks of the regular season.

The 30-year-old was called into action after Sergei Bobrovsky fell ill during a road trip in Canada, and Lyon responded by going on a season-saving stretch that propelled the Panthers into the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Once into the postseason, Bobrovsky reclaimed his crease and played some of the best hockey of his career. He played a pivotal role in Florida going on an 11-1 stretch that saw them cut through the playoff field like butter en route to the team’s first Final appearance in 27 years....

Looking ahead to next season, the Panthers currently have Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight under contract, and at the minor league level, Mack Guzda and recently signed Swiss goalie Ludovic Waeber are locked up for the year.

With Knight, however, there is still some unknown regarding his status for the upcoming season.

Knight left the Panthers in late February to enter the NHL and NHLPA’s shared player assistance program.

He moved back home to Connecticut to participate in the program, which he has since completed.

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