Not so fast, everyone. There will be no sweep in the Eastern Conference Final as the Carolina Hurricanes live to see another day. The Hurricanes staved off elimination to force a Game 5 following their 3-0 shutout win over the Florida Panthers on Monday night (May 25) in Sunrise, Florida. With their backs against the wall and being outscored 16-4 in the first three games of the series, the Hurricanes needed to dig deep if they wanted to keep their season alive. Once the final whistle sounded, they did just that as there will be a Game 5 back in Raleigh, North Carolina at the Lenovo Center, aka the Loudest House in the NHL. Before everyone shifts their eyes to that, however, what three things stood out in the Hurricanes’ shutout win in Game 4?
Takeaway #1: Frederik Andersen Earns Fifth Playoff Shutout
What a night for Frederik Andersen as The Great Dane picked up his fifth playoff shutout following the 3-0 win on Monday night. His 20-save performance was much needed after he gave up nine goals between Games 1 and 2, with most of them not being his fault. However, it was clear that the Hurricanes and the Danish netminder really needed this performance if they wanted to keep their season alive. Andersen made some key saves throughout the game, more importantly against Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, who were vying for the tying goal. However, none of those came to pass as the Hurricanes held them off until Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal scored the two empty net goals, sealing the win.
Andersen, following the win, has an 8-4 record with a 1.84 goals-against average (GAA) and a .914 save percentage (SV%). Also, he has two shutouts in the 2025 NHL Playoffs, which is a career high for him in the postseason. His last shutout before this postseason was back in 2020 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals Hub
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, when talking about Andersen’s performance, said, “He looked confident, but he always does. He’s not a goalie who’s throwing himself around. He’s always in control. But there were some real tough shots that looked easy tonight, and that’s when you know he’s kind of on. We talk all the time about how important that position is, but it seems like in this series, you get those saves early, and you can keep playing your game, and that’s what happened here tonight.”
That performance in Game 4 is why the Hurricanes extended Andersen for the 2025-26 season with a $2.75 million deal plus $750,000 in bonuses. To have someone as steady in the net like Andersen will help give balance to their tandem that includes Russian netminder Pyotr Kochetkov, who had a stellar regular season. Bringing Andersen back to help Kochetkov will go a long way, as we’ve seen over the last two seasons how well this tandem works together. Andersen was lights out for the Hurricanes, and it won’t be a surprise if they turn back to him for Game 5 on Wednesday night (May 28) in another elimination do-or-die game at home.
Takeaway #2: These Rookies Are More Than Alright
If two guys need all the praise after the 3-0 win, it has to go to Logan Stankoven and Alexander Nikishin. Stankoven got the game-winning goal in the second period after receiving a brilliant backhand pass from Nikishin and beating Sergei Bobrovsky over the shoulder with a snipe top corner, making it 1-0 at the time. Stankoven’s goal was his fifth of the playoffs, putting him into some elite company in the organization for playoff goals by a rookie. He joins Erik Cole (six, 2002) and Warren Foegele (five, 2019) as the third rookie to score five or more goals in one postseason. Furthermore, he joined Foegele and Josef Vasicek to score a goal in an elimination game as a rookie. Talk about putting yourself in good company for Stankoven.
Following the game, Brind’Amour, when asked about the Canadian rookie, said, “He’s been great. We’ve talked about him enough. There’s another kid I think is just getting going in his career obviously, but there’s another level he can get to. Again, real fortunate to have these young kids in the organization.”
The fact that he is only 22 years old should give Hurricanes fans some relief, knowing that he has one more year of his entry-level contract (ELC) left before he gets a well-deserved payday. The Hurricanes have certainly lucked out in acquiring Stankoven in the trade on NHL Trade Deadline day, along with four picks to set them up for the present and the future. Stankoven has been an absolute pitbull and has fit in well with this Hurricanes system.
Nikishin had himself a night for only his third-ever NHL game. The 23-year-old Russian defenseman was putting in the work with the primary assist on the Stankoven goal. He also had five hits in the game, tying forward Seth Jarvis for the most hits on the Hurricanes. Nikishin even logged 18:53 of ice time with 27 total shifts in the game. Furthermore, not bad when you finish with a plus-1 rating as well. He looked so composed against the Panthers, who tried to get under his skin. Barkov and Tkachuk tried to get him riled up, but it proved to no avail as the Russian rookie just shrugged them off and stood up for himself with some shoves back.
Brind’Amour stated postgame, when asked about Nikishin, “I just like that he’s not rattled and going out there and playing. Sometimes these young kids come over and come in, even rookies, they don’t realize the moment and how big it is. They’re just playing hockey. Sometimes it takes a couple years to realize, ‘Oh this is pretty important,’ you know? He looks like he’s unfazed. I don’t know. I can’t really tell you, but he’s doing a great job for us.”
What has helped Nikishin is that he’s been the captain of SKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for the last two seasons. Furthermore, he is considered one of the best defenseman ever in the KHL with an overall game that includes size, skating ability, offensive and defensive prowess, and is just someone who is the complete package. That is why the Hurricanes wanted to bring him over to North America as soon as possible. Nikishin has been playing with grown men for the last three seasons in the KHL as a 21 to 23-year-old, along with being the captain. All he knows is playing big boy hockey in the second-best hockey league in the world. Plus, it helps that he’s played meaningful playoff hockey over the last few seasons. There is no denying that he is the future of the Hurricanes’ blue line alongside Jaccob Slavin, Sean Walker, Jalen Chatfield, and Shayne Gostisbehere.
Takeaway #3: Jaccob Slavin Is the Best Defensive Defenseman
As it usually goes, Slavin showcased why he is the best defensive defenseman in the NHL. He finished the game playing exactly 28 minutes of ice time while taking 29 shifts, the second-most on the team following Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov’s 30. Oh, to further prove how stellar he was, Slavin managed to have a plus-3 rating in the game. He was the only player to have a plus-3 in the game, on both teams. Slavin also had four blocked shots, leading the Hurricanes, and even had two hits for extra measure.
Slavin was getting a ton of praise from the TNT broadcast team for his defensive prowess in the Hurricanes’ zone. The way he managed to break up a few passes was just by having stellar stick work, like he usually does. If there were ever a defensive defenseman trophy, Slavin would more than likely win it almost every season. While he does not put up a lot of points, his defensive game does all the work for him, and it’s good to see him get praised by the national media. They’re seeing what Hurricanes fans have been watching for the entire time Slavin has been in Carolina.
Related: Hurricanes Stay Alive, Shut Out Panthers 3-0 in Game 4
Following the game, Slavin stated when asked about the team playing a much tighter game than what they’ve been in so far in the Eastern Conference Final: “It was 1-0 up until the end there and so you can’t get any tighter than that. Everyone bared down and the penalty kill was huge tonight. Everyone did their job. We got one, so that’s one step, but we have a long road ahead of us. We have to just keep playing that way. One game at a time.”
It goes to show that when it’s not a track meet, the Hurricanes can play a stellar defensive game that can shut down the other team any night. It’s the structured defense that makes them play on another level. Their system is about putting pressure on the other team in all three zones of the ice. Limit the shot chances (only allowed 20 shots in Game 4), pressure in the offensive zone on the forecheck, and just puck hound all game. If the Hurricanes can play their style and control the tempo, they are a hard team to face. They were able to finally impose their will and system on the Panthers, which led to them winning Game 4, 3-0, to force a Game 5 on Wednesday night.
While they will want to take it one game at a time, one period at a time, there is clearly some confidence growing within the Hurricanes’ locker room. Can they keep it going to extend the series past Game 5?
Coming Back to Raleigh for Game 5
The series returns to Raleigh as the Hurricanes look to extend the series once again. Game 5 is set for an 8 p.m. Eastern puck drop, which will air exclusively on TNT, truTV, MAX, Sportsnet, and CBC. Hurricanes fans can listen to the game on 99.9 The Fan. Their backs are up against the wall again, but if the Hurricanes can play in Game 5 like they did in Game 4, there is a great chance that this series keeps going with Game 6 being on Friday, May 30, back in Sunrise. However, as mentioned before, it’s one game at a time for the Hurricanes, who will be looking to keep their season alive again on Wednesday night.
