Hurricanes bench – Carolina’s decision to rest Frederik Andersen reshaped Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, with rookie Brandon Bussi stepping in as the series tightened to 2-2 heading into Game 5 in Raleigh on Thursday.
When the Stanley Cup Final came back from a wild Game 3, Carolina’s next move was about doing one thing: giving Frederik Andersen a break. The Hurricanes backed that choice by starting Brandon Bussi in Game 4.
It worked in the biggest way possible on the scoreboard. The Hurricanes won to tie the Stanley Cup Final at two games apiece, setting up a best-of-three series that begins with Game 5 in Raleigh on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
After the victory, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters that he spoke with Andersen and understood the goalie needed a break. To give him the full rest, Andersen did not dress.
Bussi, who has lived through the volatility of this series, described the moment simply. “This is the time of year where you want to be playing or having an impact. ” he told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas after the game. “Circumstances happened. If my name gets called again, great. If not, I’ll be ready to go.”.
That readiness is rooted in what happened in Game 3. Trailing 4-0 after two periods, Brind’Amour replaced Andersen with Bussi. Bussi responded immediately, saving the first 18 shots he faced as Carolina launched a furious rally. Then came the swing that ended that comeback—Bussi failed to save the 19th shot when Vegas’ Shea Theodore knocked the puck off the boards. The puck bounced off Bussi’s skate, and the Golden Knights took the victory.
The series has been defined by squandered leads and sudden reversals in nearly every game. In Game 1, Vegas rallied from a deficit of at least two goals. In Game 2, Carolina did the same. Game 3 brought the most shocking collapse on both sides: the Golden Knights led 4-0 well into the third period before the Hurricanes scored three goals in a record 39 seconds. eventually forcing overtime before Theodore’s winning goal.
Game 4 carried its own late punch. The Hurricanes blew a two-goal lead in the second period after William Karlsson and Brett Howden scored to make it 3-3 at the end of the second period.
Now the stakes shift again with Andersen’s absence turning into a direct storyline heading into Game 5. The Hurricanes are level at two games apiece, and the series will return to Raleigh Thursday night with one more chance to decide what comes next.
Stanley Cup Final Hurricanes Vegas Golden Knights Frederik Andersen Brandon Bussi Rod Brind'Amour Shea Theodore William Karlsson Brett Howden Game 4 Game 5