RECAP: Bobrovsky shuts out Hurricanes, gives Cats 3-0 series lead in ECF

SUNRISE, Fla. -- "Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!"

With 3:22 left in regulation, fans at FLA Live Arena serenaded their goaltender with cheers.

Once the final second ticked off the clock, they then tossed rubber rats at his feet.

Stopping all 32 shots he faced, Sergei Bobrovsky stood tall while posting first playoff shutout of his career to put the Florida Panthers on the cusp of the Stanley Cup Final with a gritty 1-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday.

"It makes me excited," Bobrovsky said of the encouraging cheers from the sellout crowd. "It makes me [appreciative]. Our fans are the best fans. We're happy to give them a 'W' tonight."

The lowest-seeded team entering the playoffs, the Panthers, who now own a commanding 3-0 series lead over Carolina, have won 10 of their last 11 games. Between the pipes for every minute of that incredible stretch, Bobrovsky has turned aside 402 of 426 shots for .944 save percentage.

In Game 3, Bobrovsky saved 2.67 goals above expected, per NaturalStatTrick.com.

"He's been incredible all playoffs long," Panthers forward Sam Bennett said. "It's really incredible to see. It gives our team that much more confidence and that much more belief. Even if they have a big push, we know we have a guy back there that's going to fight and do whatever it takes. It's a lot of fun to play when you have a goalie that's playing like that."

In the first period, both goaltenders stood tall to keep the game scoreless. The biggest save of the period came when Bobrovsky stoned Stefan Noesen on a breakaway.

Not escaping the period totally unscathed, the Panthers lost Aleksander Barkov with roughly seven minutes left in the first period when the captain absorbed a hit from Jack Drury.

After the game, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had no update on Barkov's status.

On the power play in the second period, the Panthers opened the scoring when Sam Reinhart took a pass from Matthew Tkachuk, turned around and roofed a shot past Frederik Andersen from just inside the bottom of the right circle to make it 1-0 at 10:05.

Entering the series, Carolina's elite penalty kill was operating at over 90%. But over the last two games, both of the game-winning goals for the Panthers have come on the power play. For them, it's not about the number of goals, but the moment in which they're being scored.

"We're being more composed with the puck, and that's definitely helping us," said Bennett, who's dished out an assist in each of the last three games. "They have a great penalty kill. They're very aggressive. We've just got to be patient and make the plays when they're there."

Reinhart's goal would also prove to be all the support that Bobrovsky would need.

Knowing they couldn't afford to go down 3-0 in the series, the desperate Hurricanes threw everything they had at the Panthers in the third period. Over the final 20 minutes, they led 21-8 in shot attempts, 9-3 in scoring chances and 11-2 in shots on goal, but couldn't capitalize.

Helping out Bobrovsky, the Panthers blocked 23 shots.

"It's another great opportunity to play hockey," Bobrovsky said. "The building was great. It's great to see our fans. My teammates did a great job with all those little details -- blocked shots, good sticks, the gaps, everything. It's a good result for us and a great team effort."

After 27 years, the Panthers are just one win from returning to the Stanley Cup Final.

But it's that number -- one -- that players are choosing on to focus on.

As it has been since their run began, they'll take it one game at a time.

"The best we could've done today is win one game," said Reinhart, who's tied with Tkachuk for first on the team in playoff goals with seven. "Tomorrow is all about recovering and coming back. In two days we have another opportunity to win one game."

CATS QUOTES

"We're not looking at it that way. We're just looking at it one game at a time. We've done that all playoff long. We're just worried about the next game. That's all we're focused on right now." - Sam Bennett on the challenge of closing out the Hurricanes

"We're happy with the win, but the next game is going to be a big game. They have a great team. They have great players. It's going to be another fight. We're definitely excited for it." - Sergei Bobrovsky on looking ahead to Game 4

"No matter what the score is, we're just trying to make it as easy as possible on him. Our game plan doesn't change. He's coming up with some big timely stops. That's what you need when there are those breakdowns. Yet again, he comes up big for us." - Sam Reinhart on Sergei Bobrovsky's performance

CATS NOTES

• Sam Reinhart is tied for first on Florida's all-time playoff goals list with four.

• Sergei Bobrovsky made seven high-danger saves, per NaturalStatTrick.com.

• Radko Gudas led the Panthers with six hits.

• Josh Mahura blocked a team-high four shots.

• The Panthers became the first team in NHL history to enter a postseason as the lowest-seeded team and own multiple 3-0 leads in a best-of-seven series that same playoff year.

• Sergei Bobrovsky (34 years, 244 days) became the NHL's oldest goaltender at the time of his first career playoff shutout since Tim Thomas (35 years, 340 days in Game 5 of 2009 CSF).

• The Panthers have now been involved in seven straight games that were decided by one goal.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Panthers will get their first chance to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final when they try to eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

For tickets, click Video: CAR@FLA, Gm3: Reinhart turns and fires home a PPG.