With Bussi – Carolina switched goalies for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, moving from Frederik Andersen to rookie Brandon Bussi after Andersen was a healthy scratch. Bussi took over in Game 3’s 5-4 double overtime loss, and Vegas leads the series 2-1 going into Game 4 as
LAS VEGAS — Frederik Andersen’s first postseason run for Carolina began with 16 starts. For Game 4, he didn’t even dress.
Tuesday’s matchup brought a jolt to the Hurricanes’ crease: Brandon Bussi was in net for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. Andersen started the opening stretch of the postseason, but he was a healthy scratch for Game 4, and Pyotr Kochetkov remained the backup after not playing since December.
The decision traced back to Game 3, when Bussi replaced Andersen for the third period after Carolina fell into a 5-4 double overtime loss. Bussi stopped his first 18 shots through the third period and two overtimes. Then came the game-winning moment—an ugly bad bounce that struck his skate.
That sequence was enough to spark days of speculation about which goalie coach Rod Brind’Amour would choose next. Brind’Amour didn’t shy away from the answer once Game 4 arrived, turning to the rookie who was picked up on waivers just before the season.
Bussi hadn’t been a long-term plan at the start. He won 31 games in 39 starts for Carolina and earned a contract extension, but still found his place on the bench through the playoffs—until now.
Between Games 3 and 4, Brind’Amour pointed directly to how Bussi has responded when Carolina gives him chances. “Pretty much every time we give him any type of opportunity, he seizes the moment,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s what he did the other night, too.”
There’s urgency attached to this move. Vegas leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, and the Hurricanes know the switch won’t matter if they can’t clean up what happens in front of the net.
Carolina has allowed 13 goals in three games, with many of those coming on “terrific chances” for Vegas. Jordan Martinook said the team has been giving up breakaways more often than it expects. “We’ve given up a lot of breakaways. We’ve given up more than we’re used to and more than we expect to,” Martinook said before Game 4. “We need to shore up that side of the puck and it doesn’t matter who’s in the net. we need to play better defensively in front of them. limit some of those Grade A [chances] that we’ve been giving up.”.
Andersen’s numbers carried a growing warning as the playoffs went on. His goals against average climbed in each round, and his save percentage decreased in each round.
So the Hurricanes arrive at Game 4 with a new look in net and a familiar problem on the ice: can they reduce the Grade A chances before another bad bounce decides things again?
Carolina Hurricanes Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final Game 4 Brandon Bussi Frederik Andersen Pyotr Kochetkov Rod Brind'Amour Jordan Martinook NHL playoffs