Hurricanes’ Andersen injured knee in Game 2
The truth about one of the Carolina Hurricanes‘ top players has come out.
When speaking to the media after the team’s Stanley Cup victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen revealed that he suffered a knee injury in Game 2 of the series, which led to him missing the last three games of the final.
Correction: Frederik Andersen said he tweaked his knee back in Game 2 and that’s what took him out of the series. Tried to work through it in Game 3, was pulled and then didn’t play the rest of the series.
Andersen didn’t specify how he sustained the injury during the game. There was an instance in that same contest when Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev hit Andersen in the head. The Danish goaltender was pulled from the game after giving up four goals on 16 shots through two periods. That opened the door for Brandon Bussi, who played admirably as the Hurricanes furiously came back to tie the game late in regulation, only to lose in overtime on a flukey bounce early in the extra frame.
Concern for Andersen’s health rose after missing practice following Game 3, despite the team claiming his absence was for maintenance. However, things became a little bit clearer when Bussi got the call to start the fourth game of the series. The former Western Michigan star never relinquished the net, winning the next three games, including pitching a 22-save shutout in the clinching win on Sunday night.
It was certainly bittersweet for Andersen, who deservedly won a championship. He had been through so much in the past, both with the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, before finally getting a chance to shine with Carolina. Prior to the final, where it seemed like neither he nor Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart wanted to make a save, many had tabbed Andersen as a favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. However, despite ending the season with Lord Stanley’s Cup over his head, Andersen didn’t get the one true shining moment.
The 36-year-old went 13-2 in the playoffs, posting a 1.89 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and franchise-record three shutouts.