The Carolina Hurricanes are one win away from hockey immortality, and now they face a decision that could define their Stanley Cup run: who gets the net with the trophy in the building?
After falling behind 2-1 in the series, head coach Rod Brind’Amour made a bold mid-game switch in Game 3, pulling veteran Frederik Andersen in favor of Brandon Bussi. The move didn’t save Game 3—Carolina lost in double overtime—but it sparked something. Bussi has backstopped two straight wins, pushing the Hurricanes to the brink of their first title since 2006.
Now, with Game 6 set for Sunday night in Raleigh, Brind’Amour isn’t committing to anything. When asked Saturday if Andersen could return to the crease, the coach kept his cards close.
“Maybe. We will just kind of see,” Brind’Amour said via NHL.com. “I know he’s available. Whether we decide to have him serve as backup or keep it the same or play him, we’re going to make that decision. It’s nice to have everyone available.”
Andersen was red-hot before the benching, posting a 13-2 record this postseason with a 1.89 goals-against average, .910 save percentage, and three shutouts. But Bussi, who hadn’t played since mid-April, stepped in cold and has delivered when it mattered most.
Brind’Amour offered a theory on why a goaltender can handle a long layoff better than a skater.
“It might be easier for a goalie sometimes,” he said. “For a skater, the timing and getting up and down the ice, there’s a million things going on, but a goalie has just got to stop the puck. If you put in the work like he has—he’s been keeping himself ready—it might not be that big of an adjustment.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher. A win Sunday gives Carolina the Cup on home ice for the first time in franchise history. A loss forces a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Vegas. Brind’Amour has a proven star in Andersen and a hot hand in Bussi—and both options carry risk.
Game 6 puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET. The hockey world will be watching to see which goalie gets the call.
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