The Carolina Hurricanes face a big decision heading into Tuesday’s pivotal Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
There’s time between now and then to get there, so it wasn’t surprising that coach Rod Brind’Amour wasn’t committing to a starting goaltender against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.
But a decision is likely to come after the Hurricanes practice Monday at T-Mobile Arena on whether or not veteran Frederik Andersen or 27-year-old Brandon Bussi will make his first career postseason start.
“I don’t anticipate any changes,” Brind’Amour said Sunday via Zoom. “We’ll talk about that after practice tomorrow, kind of the lineup. But I don’t make any decisions now. We’ll see how guys are feeling and stuff like that but probably after skate tomorrow or maybe not even then. I don’t know. I don’t anticipate a lot of changes to our lineup.”
Carolina gave the starter’s crease to the 36-year-old Andersen at the start of the playoffs for his years of experience. He gave up 20 goals combined through the first three rounds, and the Hurricanes went 12-1 on their way to the Stanley Cup Final.
The struggles have been evident against the Knights, with Andersen on the hook for 12 goals allowed through three starts.
He gave up four in the second period Saturday and was pulled to start the third.
Bussi, an undrafted netminder from Sound Beach, New York, stopped 18 of 19 as his teammates rallied from four goals down to force overtime.
The only mistake on Bussi’s ledger was the game-winning goal by Shea Theodore in double overtime that caromed off the end boards and deflected off Bussi’s skate.
The Knights won 5-4 and took a 2-1 series lead.
When followed up if Andersen would start, Brind’Amour reaffirmed a decision would come after practice Monday.
“We’ll see how (Andersen’s) feeling,” Brind’Amour said. “I haven’t made any decisions on the lineup, so I can’t tell you.”
Bussi was 0ne of the NHL’s incredible stories during the regular season. A former Western Michigan standout, Bussi was named to the 2023 All-Rookie team in the American Hockey League.
He was claimed off waivers by Carolina from the Florida Panthers on Oct. 5 and went on to win 31 of his 39 starts with a 2.47 goals-against average, but an .895 save percentage.
”(Bussi) played well,” Brind’Amour said Saturday. “There’s no reason to leave Freddie in there the way that game was going. He gave a little boost. Hate it for him because he was playing great. That’s hockey.”
Carrier hurt
Former Knights forward and Original Misfit William Carrier left Game 3 with 5:28 remaining in the second period after suffering an apparent arm injury following a check to defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.
Brind’Amour did not have anything new on Carrier, who played just 6:51.
“I don’t have that much on him. I’m hopeful he’ll be fine. But I haven’t talked to (athletic trainer) Doug (Bennett) yet this morning.”
Carrier has four assists for Carolina this postseason. He was part of the Knights’ 2023 championship team and was a fourth-line presence for the Knights’ first seven seasons.
A physical game
Fourth-line forward Cole Smith also found himself in the record books Saturday in the most punishing way possible.
One of the Knights’ deadline acquisitions set a Stanley Cup Final record with 14 hits.
Hits were not kept as an official stat until 2006.
The previous mark was 12, shared by Colorado’s Andrew Cogliano (2022) and Barclay Goodrow (2020) as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Smith had 14 of the Knights’ 66 hits in Game 3.
“Playoffs, I think, all teams try to add a physical element to their game. Both teams are doing it. It’s just part of the game,” coach John Tortorella said. “Does it give you a major help? It depends on the momentums of the game, depends on certain situations in the game.
“But that’s the greatest thing about playoff hockey is that type of play so both teams bring it and I’m sure we’ll continue doing it as the series goes on.”
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Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
