Carolina trailed 4-0 when Bussi entered the game and made a furious comeback in the third period, including setting a Cup Final record by scoring three goals in 39 seconds. The 27-year-old goaltender stopped the first 18 shots he faced in his first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance, including Mitch Marner’s penalty shot at 4:04 of the third, before Shea Theodore’s shot from the right point caromed off the end boards and banked into the net off the back of his left pad at 5:38 of the second overtime.
Bussi’s performance, combined with Andersen’s unimpressive numbers in the Cup Final (4.44 goals-against average, .815 save percentage), led to questions about which goalie will start Game 4 with Carolina trailing 2-1 in the best-of-7 series.
Andersen had gone 12-1 with a 1.41 GAA, .931 save percentage and three shutouts in the first three rounds of the playoffs, but the Golden Knights have found ways to exploit the Hurricanes defensively, and the 36-year-old hasn’t been able to cover up those mistakes.
“Obviously, don’t want to give up some of the chances we’ve given up, but, overall, I thought he’s been fine,” Brind’Amour said. “You’ve got to ask him to make the saves that he’s got to make, and I think he’s done that. A couple of bounces, they are what they are, so he’s been solid for us. ‘Bus’ came in and was solid for us, so that’s got to continue.”
Whichever goalie starts, the Hurricanes needs to cut down on the defensive mistakes that have plagued them in the first three games, particularly in the second period. The Golden Knights have outscored the Hurricanes 7-1 in the second period in the series. Marner had three goals and an assist in the second period in Game 3.
Marner also hit the post on a breakaway shortly before scoring his second goal and was slashed by Sebastian Aho on a short-handed breakaway in the third period, resulting in his penalty shot.
“He got behind us a couple times,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s kind of been a common theme there. We have to know when he’s on the ice because that’s kind of how he loves to play. If we can eliminate some of those, I call them freebies, where you’ve got to go with him, take that out of there, that’ll definitely help.”
