The Carolina Hurricanes will get starting goaltender Frederik Andersen back for their series opener against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour revealed that Andersen will start Game 1 of the second-round series per the AP’s Stephen Whyno.
Andersen was injured in Game 4 of the Hurricanes’ first-round series against the New Jersey Devils on April 27 after a collision with Devils forward Timo Meier. The Danish goaltender missed Game 5 of the club’s series-clinching win — a 5-4 double overtime victory.
Pyotr Kochetkov replaced Andersen in net during his absence, stopping 50 of 55 shots faced and posting a 2.50 goals-against average.
Andersen’s postseason injury comes after missing most of the regular season, undergoing knee surgery in November, and making just 22 appearances in net. The 35-year-old goalie has been excellent in the playoffs thus far, posting a 3-1 record with a league-best .936 save percentage and a 1.59 goals-against average.
The Hurricanes signed Andersen to a one-year, $2.75 million contract extension last Saturday. He has played just 38 games combined over the past two years due to a lower-body injury and a blood clot issue. His last start against the Capitals was a 5-4 shootout loss on April 10.
Per MoneyPuck, Andersen saved 4.8 more goals than expected in the first round, and was bested only by New Jersey’s Jacob Markstrom (5.7) and the Capitals’ Logan Thompson (5.6). Thompson will oppose Andersen for the Caps in Game 1, making his sixth straight start in the 2025 postseason.
The two goaltenders will lead their teams out onto the ice at Capital One Arena ahead of a 7:00 pm puck drop.
