Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen to get MRI for his lower-body injury

The injury occurred on Saturday night against the Colorado Avalanche with less than five minutes left in the game. He stopped an initial shot, and when sliding across the crease to cover the rebound, he stumbled awkwardly before eventually laying on the ice and leaving the game. He had made 26 saves on 33 shots, allowing all seven goals in the 7-4 loss to the Avalanche before leaving.

Andersen has been having a strong season in his first year with the Hurricanes, as he has a 35-14-3 record and a .922 save percentage. Originally drafted by the Hurricanes in 2010 before re-entering the draft in 2012 when the Ducks selected him, Andersen signed with the Hurricanes in the offseason, agreeing on a two year contract with a $4.5 million cap hit.

It’s a huge loss for Carolina down the stretch, as even though the Hurricanes have clinched a playoff spot, they are barely hanging on to the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, tied with the New York Rangers for first in the division with 104 points each. With the playoffs just around the corner as well, it would really hurt the team in the playoffs if Andersen finds himself out for a significant amount of time beyond the regular season. The Hurricanes will look to backup goalie Antti Raanta for relief, who has a 12-5-4 record with a .913 save percentage.