Brind’Amour: No decisions yet on Hurricanes’ Game 4 lineupGreg WyshynskiJun 7, 2026, 04:31 PM ETClose
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
LAS VEGAS — Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour reported he doesn’t “anticipate a lot of changes” to his Game 4 lineup after his team fell behind 2-1 in its Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Does that mean goalie Freddie Andersen has the crease back after getting pulled in the third period of Carolina’s Game 3 loss on Saturday?
“We’ll make all decisions after we practice tomorrow, see how he’s feeling,” Brind’Amour reported Sunday, the first of two off-days between games here. “I haven’t made any decisions on the lineup, so I can’t tell you.”
Andersen gave up four goals on 16 shots through two periods in Game 3, as the Golden Knights built a 4-0 lead. Brandon Bussi replaced him to start the third period and stopped Mitch Marner’s bid for a fourth goal in the game on a penalty shot. Bussi stopped 18-of-19 shots he faced before losing in double-overtime on a freakish bounce off the end boards following a Shea Theodore shot. It was Bussi’s first appearance since April 14.
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Andersen had a minus-2.13 goals saved above expected in Game 3, according to Evolving-Hockey. On top of giving up four goals in the second period, he was beaten twice more on plays that were overturned by Carolina coach’s challenges. That included a play in which Andersen was hit in the head by Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev as he skated through the crease at 4:00 of the second period – around 6 minutes before the Knights’ onslaught began.
The 36-year-old goalie’s numbers have sharply declined in the last two rounds of the playoffs. In two series sweeps of Ottawa and Philadelphia, Andersen had a .950 save percentage and a 1.12 goals-against average. Since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Andersen has an .856 save percentage and a 2.77 GAA. Against Vegas, he’s given up 12 goals on 65 shots faced (.815 save percentage).
Brind’Amour, though, defended the veteran goalie’s performance.
“Obviously, you don’t want to give up some of the chances we’ve been giving up, but overall, I thought he’s been fine,” the coach reported. “You’ve got to ask him to make the save that he’s got to make. I think he’s done that. He’s been solid for us. Bussi came in and was solid for us. So that’s got to continue.”
As for any other lineup changes, Brind’Amour reiterated that he doesn’t anticipate much.
“We’ll talk about that after practice tomorrow,” he reported. “I don’t make any decisions now. See how guys are feeling and stuff like that, but probably after the skate tomorrow or maybe not even then. I don’t know.”
Despite the emotionally draining loss in Game 3, Brind’Amour scoffed at the idea that positives were hard to come by in Carolina’s performance.
“We’re one shot away in two games from being up 3-0 [in the series],” he reported. “They’re a good team. They’ve got good players. I think there’s a ton of positives.”
Game 4 is Tuesday.
