Panthers blank Hurricanes to take 3-0 lead in East finals

Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for his first career playoff shutout, and the Florida Panthers moved a win away from a surprising spot in the Stanley Cup Final with Monday’s 1-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Bobrovsky made Sam Bennett’s power-play goal midway through the second period hold up as Florida took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Panthers are aiming to become only the fourth No. 8 seed in a conference to reach the Stanley Cup Final since the NHL adopted a 16-team postseason in 1979-80.

Florida, whose lone Final appearance came in 1996, can finish off the series at home on Wednesday. In the history of the NHL playoffs, teams with a 3-0 lead have advanced in 200 of the previous 204 occurrences.

The Panthers won Game 3 despite being outshot by a 32-17 margin and losing captain Alexsander Barkov to a lower-body injury in the first period. Bobrovsky came up with 14 saves in the second period and 11 in the third, in which the Panthers managed only two shots on goal.