Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers blank Hurricanes, close in on finals

 

[May 23, 2023] The Florida Panthers are one win away from a sweep to reach the Stanley Cup Final, but one of their playoff run's biggest heroes wants to prevent his team from thinking too far ahead.

After his 32-save shutout performance in a 1-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday in Sunrise, Fla., Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky warned of the dangers of believing too quickly the series is complete.

"We just have to take care of our mind right now. Don't get ahead of ourselves," Bobrovsky told Sportsnet after his first career playoff shutout. "They're an unbelievable hockey team. They're a very structured and very strong team. It's not going to be easy. It's gonna be another fight."

Thanks to Bobrovsky's heroics -- he has stopped 132 of 135 shots in the three games -- the Panthers hold a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Panthers, whose lone trip to the Stanley Cup Final was in 1996, will look for the sweep when they play host to the Hurricanes in Game 4 on Wednesday.

Sam Reinhart's power-play goal midway through the second period -- his seventh of the playoffs came on a bang-bang play set up by Matthew Tkachuk -- was the lone offense, but no more was needed because of Bobrovsky.

Bobrovsky showed his form early with a glove save on Stefan Noesen's breakaway chance, made a sprawling blocker save on Sebastian Aho early in the second period and had a clutch pad save on a Seth Jarvis redirection late in the middle period. For good measure, he stopped all 11 shots he faced in a one-sided third period while his team clung to the lead.

The Hurricanes also rang a couple of shots off the iron.

Bobrovsky's save total is the most ever within the first three games of a conference final or Stanley Cup semifinal, breaking the mark of 125 set by Johnny Bower for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1960.

Frederik Andersen stopped 16 shots for the Hurricanes, who have lost 11 straight Eastern Conference finals games and are on the verge of being swept for a third consecutive time in a conference final. They failed to win a game in the 2009 and 2019 East finals.

May 22, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers teammates celebrate after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Hurricanes dominated the first half of the second period as well as the whole final frame, but their offense has run dry.

"You can't do much more," coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We like the way we're playing, clearly. You've got to find a way to put one in. Defensively, we're giving up nothing in three games. We've got to find a way to break through and give ourselves a chance maybe to get back in this."

Carolina, which finished atop the Metropolitan Division in the regular season, has the ability to cue up a comeback, but also now must win the mental game.

"How are you not frustrated? There's times you lose and you're frustrated because you got beat, but it feels like we're losing and not getting beat," Brind'Amour said. "That's where it gets frustrating."

Florida's win came at a cost, however. Captain Aleksander Barkov left the game for good midway through the first period after he was on the receiving end of an innocuous-looking check from Jack Drury. Barkov, who has collected four goals and 12 points in 15 playoff games, sustained a lower-body injury.

--Field Level Media

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