The Carolina Hurricanes, after three games into the first round of the 2024 NHL Playoffs, have officially put a stranglehold on the series versus the New York Islanders. After winning 5-3 on Monday, April 22 in epic comeback fashion scoring five unanswered goals, they came back on Thursday, April 25 to extend their series lead. In Game 3, the Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 3-2 to take a 3-0 series lead with the chance to sweep the first-round matchup on Saturday, April 27. It was another night of Frederik Andersen making a case to throw his name into the Conn Smythe Trophy discussion after putting up a stellar performance in the net.
Enter the Matrix Mr. Andersen
Just like in Game 1 on April 20, Andersen on Thursday night for Game 3 made his presence felt with not one but two otherworldly saves against the Islanders to help preserve the win for the Hurricanes. In the first period with Carolina up 1-0, it looked like the Islanders were about to tie the game with Noah Dobson crashing the net. However, Andersen threw his glove out and robbed Dobson once again which can only be described as grand larceny.
Fans and Dobson himself thought that was going in, but that was not the case. Just like in Game 1, Andersen’s double glove save is an early save of the playoff candidate. One has to think that Andersen is Dobson’s version of the boogieman or Freddie Kruger for the fact that he has robbed him of not one but two goals this series on stellar saves. It seems like Andersen has his number and just cannot buy a goal.
Andersen in three games for the Hurricanes has been putting on a clinic and it shows in the numbers. In Game 3, he saved 29 of the 31 shots he faced and finished the game with a .935 save percentage (SV%) and 2.00 goals against average (GAA). That being said, in the series so far as a whole, he has a 3-0 record with a 2.01 GAA and a .922 SV%. He is tied for first in the playoffs with three wins alongside Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. Furthermore, he is second in SV%, with Boston Bruins Jeremy Swayman having a .955 SV% while starting in two games, and is fifth in GAA with Swayman having a 1.51 GAA and three goalies tied for second with 2.00.
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It is not clear if he will start in Game 4 on Saturday to possibly clinch the series win for the Hurricanes, but no one can overlook the impact he has put on the series after the first three games. The save that everyone is talking about is the one he made on Alexander Romanov in the third period while the Islanders were pushing to tie the game up. With 5:45 left in the third period, the Islanders were hemming the Hurricanes into their zone for most of the period. Romanov coming down the sideboards had a lane to crash the net. Captain Anders Lee caught his skate on the back of Andersen’s and the netminder fell into the crease just as Romanov was taking his shot. What happened next sent a shockwave throughout the hockey world as Andersen windmilled his glove to make a spectacular save to keep the game 3-2 with under six minutes left in regulation.
It is clear that Andersen is the main reason the Hurricanes have a 3-0 series lead and it’s not getting past head coach Rod Brind’Amour and his teammates. When asked about the team as a whole and Andersen’s performance, Brind’Amour stated, “The first two periods were okay. Fine. We knew it was coming. They were going to give everything they had (in the third) and that’s exactly what happened. Freddie came up with a couple of huge saves and that’s the difference in the game.” The fact that he has come up clutch game after game gives the case that Andersen should already be in the playoff hardware discussions.
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Jordan Martinook was even asked about how “Zilla” did in Game 3 stating, “I don’t get impressed by him anymore because he does it every night. I’ve said it before to other guys, I don’t think I’ve seen a goalie as calm as he is in the net. We could be under siege and he is making save after save, but it just doesn’t look like he’s ever really breathing heavy. He probably is, he’s a big boy, but his demeanor in the net helps us too. When he’s sitting back, not moving much, making saves, you look back there and you’re like, ‘okay, our guy is back there, he’s doing his thing, now let’s pick it up a little bit and help him out.'”
Andersen’s cool and calm demeanor has helped the guys in front of him play their game and not have to do too much extra work. They can focus on their assignments and be good with the fact that they have Andersen behind them doing what he does best. In a series like this versus the Islanders, a calming presence in the net goes a long way and that’s why people see the Hurricanes up 3-0 in the first round with a chance to finish it on Saturday in Game 4.
Possible Series Clinch on Saturday
Game 4 of the first round is on Saturday, April 27 in Long Island, NY with puck drop at 2:00 pm ET. The game will be televised on Bally Sports South, TBS, truTV, and Sportsnet in Canada. It is not certain if Andersen will be in the net for the Hurricanes in Game 4, but with how he is playing it would make sense if they go back to him once again to ride the hot hand of a goaltender who is posting a 2.01 GAA after three games. However, it makes sense to go to Pyotr Kochetkov as well since he has not played since the second to last game of the regular season back on April 14 versus the Chicago Blackhawks. Either way, the Hurricanes cannot go wrong going with either netminder.
Expect a physical game from the Islanders who are on the brink of elimination and hoping to extend the series to Game 5 and take it back to Raleigh. The Hurricanes are hoping to end the series early and get some rest before the start of the second round whenever the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals series ends. Saturday’s game will be must-watch television for not only both fanbases but for hockey fans as a whole.
