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Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Frederik Andersen Has Been Hurricanes’ Main Stalwart in Round 1

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Zach Martin | Last updated Apr 27, 2025 10:25 AM ET

The Carolina Hurricanes’ Round 1 matchup has been nothing short of dramatic. They lead the series 2-1 following their 3-2 double overtime loss on Friday, April 25, to the New Jersey Devils. It took over 80 minutes to find a winner, which unfortunately ended in heartbreak for the Hurricanes. However, if there is something to take out of that game as a positive, it’s that Frederik Andersen has been the main stalwart of the series and was so in that game. The way he’s been the constant rock for the Hurricanes has been nothing short of amazing, as Andersen has started all three games for head coach Rod Brind’Amour‘s team. What does his Round 1 performance say about Andersen’s impactful playoff run so far in the goal?

The Great Dane

The 35-year-old Danish netminder is on a run this postseason that resembles his 2016 NHL Playoff numbers with the Anaheim Ducks, where he had a 1.41 goals-against average (GAA) and a .947 save percentage (SV%). He went 3-2 in five playoff games for the Ducks that season, playing in 297:22 of ice time. After three games for the Hurricanes in the 2025 NHL Playoffs, he currently sits with a 1.48 GAA and a .943 SV%. In three games, he’s stopped 82 of 87 shots, with three of those goals coming in the Game 3 double overtime loss. In Games 1 and 2, he only allowed one goal in each contest to put him close to his career-best SV% in the playoffs.

The only other runs that are close to those marks are the 2020 Playoffs with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1.84 GAA & .936 SV%) and the 2023 Playoffs with the Hurricanes (1.83 GAA & .927 SV%). Andersen has had other postseasons where he was over a .900 SV% but was over a 2.00 GAA. However, if the conversation is about having a sub-2.00 GAA and a .900-plus SV%, these are the four seasons to look at. Andersen has been a solid playoff netminder for the Hurricanes in each of the last three postseasons. The 2024 NHL Playoffs is one that he wants back after finishing 6-4 with a 2.62 GAA and a .895 SV%, losing to the New York Rangers in Game 6 of Round 2. Outside of last season, Andersen has been a brick wall for Carolina as they look to secure their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

What’s stood out this playoff run so far in three games is that in 202:09 of time on ice, he’s only allowed five goals in 10 and a half periods of play. He has kept the Hurricanes in all three games that have seen scores of 3-1, 4-1, and 3-2. The most recent game was the biggest workload Andersen has seen in the series, where he had to stop 34 of 37 shots in 82:36 of work in the net. The first overtime saw the Hurricanes go on the penalty kill twice, and both times Andersen had to make 10-bell saves to preserve the tie. At one point in Game 3, he had to fight off a mad scramble in the crease, then throw his glove up and perform grand larceny on Timo Meier to keep the game going. It’s by far the save of the series, and it was only in Game 3.

Even back in Game 2, the Hurricanes were down 1-0 after the first period, and Andersen shut the door the rest of the way, saving 25 of 26 shots for a .962 SV%. Back in Game 1, he saved 23 of 24 in the Hurricanes’ Game 1 beating of the Devils. He kept the Hurricanes in both games before the guys in front of him got going to claim the victories. Despite the Game 3 loss, Andersen was by far the best player of the game, even with the power-play goals from Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. If there is someone who Brind’Amour has been able to rely on every game so far, it’s Andersen.

The Hurricanes are set to play Game 4 on Sunday afternoon (April 27) at 3:30 p.m. Eastern as they look to head back to Raleigh up 3-1 in the series. As of now, there has been no word on who will start in the Hurricanes’ net for Game 4. When asked about it on Saturday, April 26, Brind’Amour stated, “We have yet to have that real discussion. If (Andersen) feels good, there’s no reason not to keep putting him in there. He’s playing really well and gave us a chance yesterday to win that hockey game, and that’s what you need.”

There is a case to give Pyotr Kochetkov a shot in the crease since he has not played since April 16 against the Montreal Canadiens. However, the fear, if you want to call it that, is that he will be rested too long in between starts. Furthermore, the Hurricanes played Andersen in nine of the 10 playoff games in 2024. Andersen in Games 1 and 2 were the first games he played in consecutive games all season, the last time was in Round 2 back in 2024. However, as Brind’Amour puts it, Andersen has been great for the Hurricanes, and if he feels good, he might start.

Andersen Could Start Game 4

There are some tough decisions to make ahead of Sunday’s Game 4 before the series returns to Carolina for Game 5. However, there is no denying that Andersen has been playing lights-out hockey for the Hurricanes. Especially since he is in the last year of his three-year deal, Andersen is proving that he still has a good bit left in the tank, even at 35 years old.