Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen redeems himself in Game 2 win

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen. James Guillory-Imagn Images

Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen redeems himself in Game 2 win over Flyers

By Eric Smithling | Last updated May 4, 2026 11:19 PM ET

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen's strong finish to Game 2 more than made up for a rocky start.

On Tuesday, the Hurricanes took a 2-0 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and Andersen was one of the game's brightest stars. You wouldn't have guessed it, however, after a nightmarish beginning to the game that saw the 13-year veteran allow two goals in the first five minutes.

Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen shakes off rough start with another incredible Stanley Cup Playoff start

Andersen settled in after his team fell into a two-goal deficit, ending the game with 32 consecutive saves to push the Canes two wins away from the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row and fourth time since 2019.

The Flyers appeared poised to even the series at a game apiece when jumping out to a 2-0 lead, scoring their first goal a little over a minute into the game during one of their seven power plays. Sean Couturier added a second goal less than a minute later when scoring from close range after camping out in front of the crease.

THE FLYERS SCORE TWO GOALS IN 39 SECONDS TO TAKE A 2-0 LEAD

Watch Flyers-Hurricanes on ESPN and the ESPN App pic.twitter.com/Ghri1IyYJr
— ESPN (@espn) May 4, 2026

After posting a .961 save percentage through the first five games of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Andersen's difficult start suggested his fortune may have been changing. Instead, he rallied from there to help give Carolina, which hadn't trailed yet this postseason, a thrilling comeback victory.

The Carolina Hurricanes are finally trailing in a game

After 5 straight playoff games without trailing and 618:51 of game time, dating back to the regular season, the streak is over. pic.twitter.com/AeR0nSIgpX
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 5, 2026

Frederik Andersen vs Philly:

36 shots faced
34 saves
.944 SV%

1.02 GAA and a perfect record this postseason. pic.twitter.com/sJG9vgGQyQ
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 5, 2026

Andersen was particularly key during overtime, when the Flyers outshot the Canes 14-6. Per Natural Stat Trick, Philly had seven high-danger scoring chances and 1.18 expected goals in the extra session, but Andersen denied it at every turn.

Through the early portion of these Stanley Cup playoffs, no goalie has been more dominant than Andersen. It's been a remarkable turnaround for the longtime vet after posting an .874 save percentage while going 16-14-5 during the regular season.

The two-time William M. Jennings Trophy winner for the league's best goaltender has flipped a switch, making Carolina as formidable as any team left standing. Nothing appears to rattle him, not even allowing two early goals.

The Flyers dealt Andersen a strong first punch, but instead of shaking his confidence, it only made him stronger.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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