The Carolina Hurricanes had Brandon Bussi in the starter's crease during Monday's practice, the day before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, according to TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour called it a maintenance day for Frederik Andersen, who has started every playoff game for Carolina, but stopped short of naming his goaltender for Tuesday.
Bussi entered Saturday's double-overtime loss in the third period after Andersen allowed four goals in a disastrous second frame and was pulled having stopped just 12 of 16 shots in 40 minutes of work. Bussi then permitted one goal — the overtime winner — across 45:26 of ice time in a strong relief appearance. The 27-year-old's last start came April 14 against the New York Islanders, a 2-1 Carolina win.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
In the regular season, Bussi logged 39 starts with a 31-6-2 record, a.894 save percentage and 2.47 goals-against average. Vegas now holds a 2-1 series lead, and TSN's Travis Yost noted earlier Monday that falling behind 3-1 would put Carolina in serious trouble.
The goaltending decision is not Brind'Amour's only concern. Vegas has controlled play at five-on-five, meaning the coach will likely shuffle personnel groupings beyond the crease as Carolina attempts to claw back into the series.