Brandon Bussi made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut for the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, entering in relief of Frederik Andersen to begin the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Andersen was pulled after a difficult second period in which he allowed four goals on 14 shots. Two additional Vegas goals were overturned after video review. One was waved off because Mark Stone was offside, and another was disallowed for goalie interference on a Jack Eichel goal.
Bussi’s appearance marked a significant moment in his unexpected rise. The undrafted goaltender signed with the Florida Panthers as a free agent on July 1, then was claimed off waivers by Carolina on Oct. 5. He later made his NHL debut this season and posted a 31-6-2 record with a 2.47 goals-against average, a .895 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 starts for the Hurricanes.
Andersen had been one of Carolina’s top performers throughout the postseason, entering Game 3 with a 13-2-0 record, a 1.72 GAA and a .917 save percentage in 15 starts. He was especially strong early in the playoffs, allowing two goals or fewer in 12 of his first 13 appearances. But his form has dipped in the Cup Final, where he gave up five goals in Game 1, a 5-4 Vegas victory, and three in Game 2, a 4-3 Carolina win in overtime.
The goaltending change came at a critical point in the series, with Carolina looking to stabilize its play in net after a high-scoring start to the Final. Bussi’s first NHL playoff action now places him at the center of a pivotal game as the Hurricanes try to stay competitive against the Golden Knights on hockey’s biggest stage.
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