Hurricanes Goalie Dilemma: Who Starts in Game 4 Tuesday? – Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final brought drama to the first three games. They came back from 2-0 down in Game 2 and won 4-3 in overtime, then followed that up with a four-point sweep, but fell short in Game 3, losing 5-4 in double overtime. With all that double overtime excitement in Game 3 on Saturday night (June 6), an interesting storyline has developed that could impact Game 4 on Tuesday (June 9). The Hurricanes have a decision to make: who will start in the crease for Game 4?

Frederik Andersen or Brandon Bussi for Game 4?

For the first time in the playoffs, Frederik Andersen did not finish the game. He was subbed out after the second half, when he gave up four goals on 16 shots. Andersen finished with a .750 save percentage (SV%) in perhaps his worst game of the postseason. However, all four goals were not for Andersen, as he was left out to dry again due to defensive issues and turnovers in the Hurricanes’ zone. The game’s lack of passes and strong passing gave the Vegas Golden Knights many chances, and a lot of dangerous breaks.

After their Game 1 loss, Sean Walker said, when asked what the team could do better defensively, “I think some of the things, execution-wise, we could do a better job of. Key points: breakaways; a lot of their goals were coming from the inside slot. A lot of quick plays; that’s something we’re going to look at, really look to shut down.”

Unfortunately, Andersen didn’t have the night he wanted and was eliminated from the playoffs for the first time. The Hurricanes decided to move Brandon Bussi, who had not played in almost two months since the end of the regular season. He made his Stanley Cup final and playoff debut with a 4-0 deficit and a team that looked lost at times. One of his first tasks was to stop Mitch Marner, who had already tallied four points, including a natural hat trick, in the penalty shootout. He ended up setting a record, with a four-goal game.

After a big save, the Hurricanes scored four goals in the third period to force overtime. Three of those goals came within a span of 39 seconds to make it a one-goal game. Unfortunately, the return could not be completed. Besides, Bussi held his own in his first ever Stanley Cup Final. He managed to finish the night with a 1.32 goals against average (GAA) and a .947 SV% in an 18 save effort. It seemed that when Bussi entered the crease and made a few key saves to keep the game from getting out of hand, the guys in front of him played better.

During the postgame, when asked about going to Bussi, Rod Brind’Amour said, “I mean, he played well. There was no reason to leave Freddie out there the way that game was going. It gave us a little bit of momentum. We made a big save on Marner there and he gave us a chance. Tough, tough break. I hate him because he was playing well. Hockey.”

Brind’Amour later followed up when asked if Bussi could start in Game 4, “We’ll figure all that out later. We have a few days to reassess how we’re going to do the next game. But I give him credit for coming in. He played well. Like I said, I hate that it was the last goal, because there was nothing he could have done. But it was a big mistake.

Bussi finished the regular season with a 31-6-2 record along with a 2.47 GAA and .895 SV%, along with two shutouts and an assist. As for the Hurricanes’ SV% in the regular season, it’s a very contextual figure given their low shots allowed per game. When it comes down to it, who knows how the Hurricanes’ season goes if Bussi doesn’t break out with a 31-game winning streak in his first full NHL season.

As for Andersen, while his regular season was statistically awful, he was one of the main reasons the Hurricanes reached the Stanley Cup Finals. He has a 13-2 record with a 1.89 GAA and a .910 SV% with three shutouts. It’s hard to make a change like that, especially with the way Andersen helped found the storms here. Furthermore, three games in five days is easy for anyone; both teams looked breathless towards the end of Game 3.

Bussi said when asked if he would be ready for Game 4 if called upon, “Absolutely. That’s not my call though. Fred is the reason we’re here right now. If they tell me I’m leaving, great. If not, I’ll be ready.”

There are a few days between Games 3 and 4, so the Hurricanes are not sure who they will turn to in Game 4 between Andersen and Bussi. Bussi played well in his 45:26 relief appearance in Game 3, holding the Hurricanes through the third period and two overtimes. Andersen played 1,014:18 after 16 starts. One thing’s for sure: there’s no envy for Brind’Amour and his staff to find out who they’ll pick to start Game 4 on Tuesday. Do they go back to Andersen, who was a key part of the Stanley Cup Finals, or go to Bussi, who had 31 wins in the regular season and had a solid Game 3?