SUNRISE, FL (SNN-TV) – A crowd of 20,000 or so fans chanted “Bobby!” in unison at FLA Live Arena, after Panthers star Sergei Bobrovsky reigned in a magnificent in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final.
The Panthers are on the brink of their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 27 years, after Bobrovsky stopped 32 shots for his first playoff shutout, as Florida blanked the Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 last night.
Bobrovsky is now 10-1 in his last 11 appearances and has been almost perfect in the last eight games. Going back to Game 1 of Round 2 against Toronto, Bobrovsky has not allowed more than two goals in any contest, with 296 saves on 309 shots — a .958 save percentage. And if that doesn’t sound absurd enough, try this one: Out of the last 110 shots he’s faced, Bobrovsky has stopped 109.
The win marks the 205th time that a team has taken a 3-0 series lead in NHL playoff history. Of the first 204, 200 went on to win the series. The Panthers can clinch their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals since 1996, with a win in Game 4 tomorrow at home.
