Facing virtually a must-win Stanley Cup Final matchup, Carolina pivots to rookie Brandon Bussi for his first playoff start while veteran Frederik Andersen mysteriously vanishes from the lineup.
The Carolina Hurricanes are turning to rookie netminder Brandon Bussi in their biggest game of the season, Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
For the the 27-year-old netminder, it will be the first career NHL playoff start in what is already his first NHL season.
Bussi had a great season with Carolina, posting a 31-6-2 record to help propel the Hurricanes to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
However, he's taken a backseat to Frederik Andersen in the postseason as the veteran netminder had started all 16 of the Hurricanes' playoff games.
Bussi did get a taste of playoff action in Game 4 though, playing from the third period on, where he turned aside 18 of the 19 shots he faced.
"I give him credit for coming in," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour after Game 3. "He played well. Like I said, I hate that that's the goal that ends it, because there's nothing he could do. It's just a bad break. But he was great."
"Honestly, I was pretty even keeled," Bussi said. "I think these are the moments you want to be playing in, right? Just put my head down and have fun with it."
For the past two days, Brind'Amour has kept his decision under wraps, revealing nothing to the media.
Andersen didn't practice with the team on Monday either, something which Brind'Amour said was just maintenance.
The most shocking thing out of all of this though is that Andersen isn't even dressed for Game 4. Bussi will be starting with Pyotr Kochetkov backing him up.
Brind'Amour had said on Monday that Andersen wasn't dealing with any lingering issues from the knee to the head he received from Ivan Barbashev, so the total scratch is a bit puzzling to say the least.
Regardless, Bussi will have the chance to build on his legendary season. The Canes are certainly going to need him to.
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