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SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- The New Jersey Devils know it's not over.
But it sure is close.
|  | | Florida goalie Mike Vernon made 38 saves, including this one against New Jersey's Petr Sykora. |
Brian Rafalski had a goal and an assist and the Devils moved within one victory of advancing to the second round for the first time in three years with a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
The Devils took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Game 4 in the Eastern Conference playoff series is Thursday at Florida.
"I've been around too long to get too comfortable with a three-game lead," defenseman Ken Daneyko said. "Three games gets you nothing. You don't win until you get the fourth one."
Martin Brodeur -- and the Devils defense -- continued to stifle the Panthers and Pavel Bure. Brodeur stopped 21 shots, including 15 in the third period, and improved to 7-0-3 in his last 10 games against Florida.
Bure has yet to score, something he did 58 times in the regular season to lead the league.
"He is getting a lot of attention," Panthers coach Terry Murray said. "It is going to be difficult for him to get close to the net for any length of time."
Scott Stevens is making sure of that.
New Jersey's star defenseman continued to shadow Bure, limiting the Russian Rocket's shots and keeping him from skating in open ice. Bure managed just one shot and has eight in the series.
"This is where we wanted to be," Stevens said. "We don't want this to become a 3-1 series where they feel they have life. That's why Thursday is so important. The bottom line is we're not giving up a lot of scoring chances and I know that has frustrated them. It's what has put us in position to win this series."
The Panthers were outshot 31-7 through two periods, but goalie Mike Vernon kept the game tied 1-1.
Vernon made 38 saves despite allowing several rebounds. He made save after save, stopping a flurry of shots from point-blank range, but gave up two seemingly soft goals.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead at 9:19 of the first. Mike Sillinger sliced between two defenders, cut right at the crease and dropped the puck for Ray Whitney, who beat Brodeur to the left side of the net.
The Devils tied it in the second, scoring their first power-play goal of the postseason. New Jersey was scoreless in 11 man-advantage situations, including the first four on Tuesday.
But with Bure in the penalty box for elbowing, the Devils scored on Alexander Mogilny's slap shot from the right circle at 16:25.
Mogilny's shot deflected off Florida defenseman Bret Hedican's stick and slipped through the legs of Vernon. Rafalski and Stevens assisted on the play.
The Devils outshot Florida 19-1 in the second period, but Vernon -- fifth in career playoff wins with 77 -- kept the game tied.
At least until the third, when he allowed a 55-foot shot from Rafalski to slip into the net.
"It just hit my glove and just kind of rolls, kind of angles in on me," Vernon said. "It was kind of an unfortunate one and one I wish I could have back."
Only two NHL teams have come back from 3-0 deficits, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders. Nonetheless, the Panthers are optimistic they can still win the series.
"It's not like we're losing games by four or five goals," Alex Hicks said. "Things can turn around. We're just not getting that one goal like we need it. We just have to win this next one and go back to New Jersey."
The game was much more physical than the previous two, especially for the Panthers, who were called for six penalties. Enforcer Peter Worrell mixed it up early and often.
He forced Colin White to the ice -- and the bench -- in the first period. White left the game to have X-rays taken on his right forearm and did not return.
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Buffalo 3
Philadelphia 2
New Jersey 2
Florida 1
Dallas 4
Edmonton 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Brian Rafalski fires a slap shot past Mike Vernon.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Ray Whitney beats Martin Brodeur for a goal.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Alexander Mogilny scores on the power play.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Brian Rafalski is looking forward to a possible sweep.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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