The Carolina Hurricanes face a tough Stanley Cup Final decision that isn’t difficult at all

The Carolina Hurricanes have one key decision to make ahead of Game 4 in the Stanley Cup Final: Do they actually want to win the cup, or not? That choice is on head coach Rod Brind-Amour, who has yet to decide whether or not his team will behave like an organization that wants to win, or if unwritten rules and hockey etiquette win reign supreme.

Despite Carolina’s overall dominance this season, an undercurrent for the Canes has been the largely abysmal play of goaltender Freddie Andersen. It’s an issue that has been rearing its head for months in Raleigh, and a concern that die-hard hockey fans had entering the playoffs. At no point during the 2025-26 season did Andersen seem in control in the crease. Starting 35 games this season, Andersen posted a horrific 0.874 save percentage this season (61st in the NHL), allowed 3.05 goals-per-game (42nd in the NHL), and only posted quality starts in 31.4% of his games (80th in the NHL). The only thing that really kept Freddie between the pipes this season was an injury to Pyotr Kochetkov, limiting his ascent to become the top starter — but the goaltending situation was complicated by the emergence of desperation signing Brandon Bussi.

Bussi’s NHL dreams were seemingly over before the Hurricanes threw him a lifeline. The undrafted 27-year-old had spent the majority of his career bouncing around the AHL as a middling goaltender, seemingly never getting a chance to step up into the big leagues. The Hurricanes needed a body to put in net to give Andersen some rest, and goodness did he make the most of it. Not only did Bussi eclipse Andersen in every appreciable way during the regular season, but he put up quality starts that ranked him among the middle of the NHL among goalies who started 30+ games this season.

Still, there was hesitance from head coach Rod Brind-Amour when the playoffs rolled around due to Bussi’s relative inexperience. He wanted a veteran presence in net, even if it meant moving away from the hot hand. An understandable choice at the time, and it worked well until the Stanley Cup Final. With Vegas the Carolina defense could no longer manhandle them in their zone with the forecheck and condense the ice, the Golden Knights’ skaters are strong enough to create quality opportunities on goal, and break through the Canes’ defense.

That brings us to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, one of the most drama-filled, unpredictable, wild performances in the history of the final. A game that saw Vegas score four goals in the second period, including a natural hat trick from Mitch Marner. Andersen was pulled, Bussi got his shot — and he shone with a perfect third period that revitalized the Hurricanes. Carolina scored three goals in 39 seconds, dragged the game to double overtime, and lost on a random bouncing puck that was wholly unpredictable. Even the most biased Freddie Andersen fan has to admit that there was no comparison between the two goaltenders.

At no point did Bussi appear as if the moment was too big for him. Whatever fears you might have about starting him in net were assuaged in one period. Not only did he make the routine saves every goalie needs to make at the cup level, but he did came up big and made saves that Freddie Andersen simply hasn’t done all season long.

Now as we approach Game 4 the Hurricanes have a decision to make: Give the failing veteran the nod once more as a kind of career achievement award, or turn to the hot hand who can actually win them the game? The highs of Freddie Andersen might be higher, but they just haven’t presented themselves in the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile Bussi might be more of a middle-pack goaltender, but he won’t have the same lows.

Middle of the pack is good enough with Carolina’s defense. Middle of the pack is enough to win the cup with the team the Canes have built. The only thing this team can’t sustain is being put in a position where Andersen lets cupcake goals through every single Vegas scoring opportunity, because he barely offers any resistance. There is no doubt this is an emotionally difficult decision, especially in light of the death of Claude Lemieux, Andersen’s agent, friend, and mentor — but the entire Hurricanes organization can’t be asked to squander this opportunity because of one horrible moment. There’s been too much work at every level to play a demonstrably worse player at a time like this.

If the Hurricanes want to win the cup then it’s time to start Brandon Bussi and not look back. It’s the only chance this team has.