LAS VEGAS — The two-day break between Games 3 and 4 has given everyone in the Carolina Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes] orbit plenty of time to debate the most obvious question in the Stanley Cup final. Rod Brind'Amour is not joining that conversation publicly. As the team took the ice for practice Monday at T-Mobile Arena, goalie Frederik Andersen was not on the ice for maintenance. Brandon Bussi [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/brandon-bussi-hurricanes-fall-short-of-comeback-in-chaotic-2ot-loss-to-golden-knights], the 27-year-old who delivered a strong relief outing in Game 3, took the majority of the starter's reps in the crease. William Carrier also returned to the ice after getting banged up in the 5-4 double-overtime loss on Saturday. The visual was clear enough to fuel speculation, yet Brind'Amour refused to name a Game 4 starter ahead of Tuesday night's pivotal matchup, even though he knows. "We'll keep it quiet. That's the only suspenseful thing around here that I have to hold on to," Brind'Amour said. "It seems to have taken a life of its own, so I kind of enjoy it. But yes, it was a maintenance day for (Andersen). The situation stems directly from Game 3's wild finish. Andersen was lifted to start the third period after allowing four goals on 16 shots, including a difficult second period that helped Vegas build a 4-0 lead behind Mitch Marner's record-fast hat trick in a Stanley Cup final [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/latest-news/mitch-marner-scores-natural-hat-trick-in-second-period-to-give-golden-knights-4-0-lead-over-carolina-hurricanes]. Bussi came in and stopped 18 of 19 shots the rest of the way, including a save on Marner's penalty shot. His steady play helped spark one of the most remarkable comebacks in Cup final history: the Hurricanes scored three goals in 39 seconds in the third period to tie the game and force overtime. They ultimately fell on Shea Theodore's bank-shot winner in the second overtime [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/stanley-cup-final-game-3-was-off-the-wall], but the rally showed the group's refusal to quit even when the odds looked overwhelming. Brind'Amour couldn't help but be amused by the topic of who will be in net. "All year as a player, you don't really worry about who's in net," Brind'Amour said. "You've got your own job to worry about. That's why I kind of chuckle about the goalie thing." Taylor Hall [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/calgary-flames/players/taylor-hall-leads-alberta-presence-in-stanley-cup-final] agreed. "We shuffle goalies so much all season long that it was kind of like, show up to the game, and you kind of forget who's really starting, right?" Hall said. "You see in warmup, you're like, 'OK, this is who we're shooting on tonight.' So it doesn't matter. We have a lot of confidence in both those guys, and I thought Bussi came in and played really, really well last game. I think the season for him, overall, was probably a lot to take in, just kind of becoming a full-fledged NHLer. And then playing a ton of games in a row, so hopefully he's gotten some rest and he's fresh mentally. He looked like it last game." Hurricanes Face Difficult Call For Starting Goalie Against Golden Knights In Game 4 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/66505c4a-c082-45af-b416-31692f3086a6.jpeg] Hurricanes Face Difficult Call For Starting Goalie Against Golden Knights In Game 4 After Brandon Bussi's excellent performance in relief for Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour has a decision to make in his crease. Should he start Bussi or Andersen in Game 4? [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/hurricanes-face-difficult-call-for-starting-goalie-against-golden-knights-in-game-4] Andersen has been the steady presence who carried Carolina through three playoff rounds [https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/frederik-andersen-on-historic-run-in-2026-stanley-cup-playoffs], but he has looked a step slow against Vegas' speed and skill in the Cup final. Bussi's athleticism and quicker feet gave the team a different look in relief and appeared to energize the skaters around him. With the series now at 2-1 for Vegas, the choice for Game 4 carries real weight. A win would even things up and steal back momentum on the road. A loss would put the Hurricanes in a 3-1 hole against a Golden Knights team that has shown it can close out opportunities. In many ways, this is a must-win for Carolina. In the history of their franchise, they have never won a game down 3-1 in the series. They've only been down 3-1 twice. One of those was the 2002 Stanley Cup final, when they fell to the Detroit Red Wings in five games [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/remembering-the-red-wings-2002-stanley-cup-triumph-23-years-later]. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6cd04a4f-d49b-4efc-a6da-8112249533d5.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source [https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=thehockeynews.com]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. 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