COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky has the Columbus Blue Jackets on the brink of sweeping a playoff series that hardly anyone thought they could win.
The Russian goalie shut the door when the Tampa Bay Lightning made a desperate late surge on Sunday night, preserving a 3-1 win and giving Columbus a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal against the NHL's best team.
The Blue Jackets will try to finish the sweep — and win a playoff series for the first time in franchise history — in Game 4 at home on Tuesday night.
Without their top scorer, the suspended Nikita Kucherov, and injured defenseman Victor Hedman, the Lightning, who finished with a league-best 62 wins, couldn't find any momentum until late, and then Bobrovsky rose to the challenge.
The night was satisfying for Bobrovsky — he hasn't been great in the playoffs the last two seasons — and the Blue Jackets, who were 2-8 at Nationwide Arena in three previous postseason appearances. They are the only NHL team that hasn't won a playoff series.
"We don't have to overthink, we just have to enjoy tonight and prepare for another work get-together, work for each other and, yup, let's see what's going to happen," Bobrovsky said.
"As far as I know, we're playing Tuesday, so were still alive," he said.
After a scoreless first period, the Blue Jackets struck 1:44 into the second when Duchene was in the right place to score off a rebound . Bjorkstrand went over Vasilevskiy's head on a power play for a 2-0 Columbus lead at 8:25, with rookie Alexandre Texier picking up his first NHL assist.
Tampa Bay got on the board with Palat's goal in the third, but couldn't muster any more. Atkinson connected on an empty-netter with a minute left in the game.
NOTES: Kucherov was suspended for boarding Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara in Game 2 on Friday. Nutivaara was out with an upper-body injury Sunday…. Columbus signed D Vladislav Gavrikov on Saturday but he's not cleared to play yet because his visa is pending. … The Lightning's three shots in the first period were the fewest allowed in a period by the Blue Jackets in a home playoff game. … The Blue Jackets last won a home playoff game on April 18, 2017. … Columbus has scored four power-play goals in the series.
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