Bobrovsky, Panthers shut out Hurricanes in Game 3, extend series lead

SUNRISE, Fla. --Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves and put the Florida Panthers on the verge of the Stanley Cup Final with a 1-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at FLA Live Arena on Monday.

It was his first shutout in 64 Stanley Cup Playoff games (58 starts). He has 38 shutouts in 642 NHL regular-season games (628 starts).

"My teammates did a great job," Bobrovsky said. "All those little details, blocked shots, got good sticks and the gaps and everything that goes to small details. So, it's definitely a good result for us, and it's a big team effort."

Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers, the second wild card from the East.

Matthew Tkachuk had an assist after scoring the winner in each of the first two games. He scored in the fourth overtime of a 3-2 win in Game 1, and in the first overtime of a 2-1 victory in Game 2.

Game 4 is here Wednesday.

"We're happy with the win, but next game is going to be a big game," Bobrovsky said. "They have a great team. They have great players. It's gonna be another fight. We're definitely excited for it."

Aleksander Barkov left the game in the first period because of a lower-body injury. Barkov, who is Panthers captain, missed the final 7:04 of the first and did not return following a hip check from Jack Drury on his final shift. Florida coach Paul Maurice did not have an update after the game.

The Panthers were outshot 11-2 in the third period.

"The most important thing was, no one felt like they had to change their game and no one did (after he left)," Reinhart said. "Everyone tried to execute the same game plan.

"You know, we really liked that third [period]. It might [not] have been on the shot clock, we didn't have many [shots], but I really liked our pace. We weren't sitting back. That's the way you're going to have to win games this time of year."

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Frederik Andersen, who did not start Game 2, made 16 saves for the Hurricanes, the No. 1 seed in the Metropolitan Division.

"It's right there," Carolina forward Sebastian Aho said. "Every single game this series has been a one-goal game. They've been right there. We could easily win all of them. Obviously, we haven't won any of them. The concept is there. I think the way we play definitely we can beat them, but at the same time, we've got to find ways to score more goals."

The Hurricanes came close to taking a lead at 1:04 of the first when Jesper Fast tipped a Brent Burns point shot off the post. Stefan Noesen was later stopped on a breakaway with a glove save by Bobrovsky at 13:34.

"I think if we start with one win here and we continue to play like that, I think we're going to get a bounce and we'll move on from there," Carolina captain Jordan Staal said. "I think it was right there again for us. We'll take another stab at it and take Game 4 and go from there."

Reinhart scored eight seconds into a power play at 10:05 of the second period. After receiving a pass from Tkachuk in the right face-off circle, he quickly turned around and scored with a high shot blocker side.

Bobrovsky made a pad save on a Seth Jarvis redirection at 17:03 of the second before he stopped a Martin Necas redirection at 9:42 of the third.

"It's there for us," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We've got to find a way to put it in. We've got to find a way to just break through and give ourselves a chance maybe to get back in this. But it's tough because we have played really well."

Carolina outshot Florida 25-7 over the final two periods but only had two shots on goal over the final 5:50, including zero in the final 3:10. The Panthers also blocked three shots with under two minutes left and had 23 in the game.

"It was a really good gritty win," Maurice said. "We blocked an awful lot of shots and I thought the best stretch of hockey we have is probably the last six minutes."

NOTES: Bobrovsky (34 years, 244 days) is the oldest goalie to get his first playoff shutout since Tim Thomas (35 years, 340 days) made 19 saves in a 4-0 win for the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Hurricanes. Bobrovsky has stopped 67 consecutive shots and 110 of his 111. He has made 132 saves in the past three games, setting an NHL record for the most by a goalie through the first three games of a conference final/semifinal series since 1955-56. He surpassed Johnny Bower, who made 125 saves with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first three games of the 1960 Semifinals against the Detroit Red Wings. … Tkachuk has 128 points (regular season and playoffs combined) in his first season with the Panthers. Only Wayne Gretzky (140 in 1979-80 with the Edmonton Oilers and 190 in 1988-89 with the Los Angeles Kings) and Teemu Selanne (138 in 1992-93 with the Winnipeg Jets) have more in their first season with a franchise.