Bobrovsky 'incredible' again in Game 3 shutout for Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Even as the Carolina Hurricanes swarmed the Florida Panthers net, at times, even as they pumped 32 shots on Sergei Bobrovsky, it never felt as if one was going to go in. The goalie seemed calm back there, composed, ready for anything and everything, ready to create magic.

"It's like, in a game, you play just the moment," Bobrovsky said. "There is no future, no past. You're just right here, right now. You see what's going on, you know what's happening -- and you react, accordingly.

"That's pretty simple."

Simple?

Maybe for him.

But Bobrovsky, over and over, has been exactly what the Panthers have needed, allowing only enough goals that will allow them to win games, to advance, to keep pushing and pushing and pushing. That's how they have found themselves here, at this point, after a 1-0 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at FLA Live Arena on Monday gave them a 3-0 lead against the Hurricanes in the best-of-7 series, putting them one win away from the Stanley Cup Final that just about no one saw coming.

RELATED: [Complete Hurricanes vs. Panthers series coverage]

Game 4 is here Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, CBC, SN, TVAS).

The numbers for Bobrovsky are stunning, startling. After an up-and-down season that was rife with injuries and struggles, Bobrovsky has put together a run for the ages. With those 32 saves in Game 3, Bobrovsky (132 saves) surpassed Johnny Bower (125 in the 1960 semifinals, Toronto Maple Leafs) for the most saves by a goaltender through the first three games of a conference final/semifinals series since 1955-56.

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

The shutout marked the first in Bobrovsky's career, coming in his 58th career playoff start, and making him (34 years, 244 days) the NHL's oldest goalie at the time of his first playoff shutout since Tim Thomas (35 years, 340 days) in Game 5 of the 2009 conference semifinal. And it helped make up for the loss of forward and captain Aleksander Barkov, who left the game with 7:04 remaining in the first period because of a lower-body injury. There was no update on Barkov after the game.

"Definitely he's the best player in the world, so obviously it changes things," defenseman Radko Gudas said.

But for Bobrovsky, it changed nothing. He just did what he does, what he has been doing since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Boston Bruins, getting stronger and stronger and stronger as the playoffs have progressed.

In the five games against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, Bobrovsky allowed exactly two goals in each of the games. Three games into the conference final, Bobrovsky has allowed three goals, one fewer in each game than his teammates have been able to score. He has stopped 67 consecutive shots and 110 of his past 111.

In Game 3, it was Sam Reinhart on the power play at 10:05 of the second period, a turnaround shot that provided all the offense anyone would see.

It didn't matter.

The Panthers defense did what they needed to do, blocking 23 shots and getting in the way, allowing Bobrovsky the help they believed he deserved.

"As a [defense] corps, we emphasize boxing guys out, making sure he sees most of the pucks," Gudas said. "Trying to make his life easier because he's making our life easier. He's been nothing but great for us."

There's no arguing with that.

It's hard to know where the Panthers would be without Bobrovsky. But it likely wouldn't be here, on the verge of a spot in the Stanley Cup Final, which seemed nothing more than a pipe dream six weeks ago when it was a question whether they'd qualify for the playoffs at all.

"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."

They should be. They are one win away from joining the 2021 Montreal Canadiens and 2017 Nashville Predators as the third team in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to reach the Final after entering as the lowest-ranked of NHL teams to qualify.

And it's because of their goalie.

"Yet again," Reinhart said, "he comes up big for us."