Updated

Updated · WRAL News · Jun 8

Carolina Weighs Game 4 Goalie Switch After Andersen Allows 12 Goals in 3 Final Games

Updated

Updated · WRAL News · Jun 8

Carolina Weighs Game 4 Goalie Switch After Andersen Allows 12 Goals in 3 Final Games

Q: Has the Vegas offense exposed Frederik Andersen, or is the veteran goalie simply too worn out to lead a comeback?

It looks like both. Vegas has clearly found ways to punish Andersen, but the sharper concern for Carolina is that the veteran also looks worn down. The evidence against Andersen in this series is stark. He has an .815 save percentage through three games, was pulled in Game 3 after allowing four goals on 16 shots, and has now given up 12 goals on 65 shots in the Final. Vegas is not just scoring; it is generating the kind of chances that test his known weak spots, especially off broken coverage, lateral plays and attacks from below the hash marks. Mitch Marner’s Game 3 hat trick was the clearest sign that the Golden Knights are exploiting both Carolina’s defensive lapses and Andersen’s slower reactions. At the same time, this does not look like exposure alone. Andersen, 36, has played every minute of the Hurricanes’ first 16 playoff games before being pulled, and his form has dipped noticeably from the .950 save percentage he carried through the first two rounds. Over his last six games, that number has fallen sharply, which fits a long-running pattern in his career: strong stretches followed by decline when the workload gets too heavy. That is why Game 4 feels less like a tactical tweak and more like a freshness decision. Brandon Bussi’s relief outing in Game 3 — one goal allowed on 19 shots before the double-overtime winner — gave Carolina a credible alternative. Vegas has exposed Andersen’s current level, and fatigue appears to be a major reason why.

Q: Can waiver-claim Brandon Bussi become the unlikely hero Carolina needs to win the Stanley Cup?

Yes — Brandon Bussi can be the unlikely hero Carolina needs, and the case for giving him Game 4 is stronger than it was even 48 hours ago. The immediate issue is Frederik Andersen’s form. He was pulled in Game 3 after allowing four goals on 16 shots, and his save percentage in the Final has fallen to .815. Over his last six games, that number is reportedly .867, a sharp drop from the .950 he posted earlier in the playoffs. The concern is not just one bad night; it fits a longer pattern of Andersen fading when heavily used. Bussi offers both recent evidence and season-long support. In relief in Game 3, he stopped 18 of 19 shots before the double-overtime own-goal deflection, and he also made key saves under pressure, including on Mitch Marner. Over the regular season, Bussi’s numbers were clearly better than Andersen’s: 31-6-2, 2.47 goals-against average, .895 save percentage, compared with Andersen’s 16-14-5, 3.05, and .874. For a team that usually values goalie rotation, turning to Bussi now would be consistent with Carolina’s broader philosophy of keeping netminders fresh. There is still risk. Bussi is less experienced, and starting a waiver claim in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final would be a major gamble. But Carolina does not need him to steal every game by himself. Its puck-control structure, strong shot-share, and offensive depth can reduce the burden. If Brind’Amour believes Andersen is spent, Bussi is not just a desperation option. He is a credible one.

3 articles · Updated · WRAL News · Jun 8

Game 4 on Tuesday has become Carolina’s first real playoff crease decision, with Rod Brind’Amour saying he will choose between Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi after Monday’s practice.
12 goals allowed in less than three Stanley Cup Final games put Andersen under pressure after he surrendered four in Game 3’s second period and was pulled in Carolina’s 5-4 double-overtime loss.
18 saves in relief gave Bussi a case after the waiver-wire pickup helped spark a rally from 4-0 down, though Vegas still took a 2-1 series lead on a bad-bounce winner off his skate.
Andersen has started all 16 postseason games and went 13-3 getting Carolina here, but his goals-against average has climbed each round to 4.44 in the Final as defensive breakdowns also mounted.
Brind’Amour has seen this script before: Carolina switched goalies during its 2006 conference final run, then recovered and went on to win the Stanley Cup.