Bussi’s standards are pretty high.
As a first-year NHL goalie, he went 31-6-2 last season, setting records at every turn. He took a back seat to veteran Frederik Andersen in the postseason but came up big at the most important time.
After Andersen was injured in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, Bussi, idle for nearly two months, played 225:26 across the final four games of the series against the Vegas Golden Knights. He allowed six goals on 87 shots, finishing with a 1.60 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.
Bussi made 22 saves in a 3-0 victory in Game 6 to help deliver the Hurricanes their second Stanley Cup championship.
It was that win that was being celebrated before the nationally televised game on Tuesday with a banner-raising ceremony. Bussi received cheers equal to those of captain Jordan Staal and fan favorite Sebastian Aho during the introductions before the championship banner was raised.
“Cool experience,” he said after the game Tuesday. “I think I will be able to appreciate it more than I do right now, but our fans deserved it, they deserved a moment like that. They probably deserved a better result but it’s Game 1 of 84, but it’s going to happen.”
One fluky goal can’t erase the heroics Bussi performed throughout the spring. If he plays like he did Tuesday, the Hurricanes will have a better shot at defending their title. Every player in the dressing room knows that. He will be the No. 1 goalie on this team with Andersen having joined the Edmonton Oilers via free agency.
“He played great,” Staal said. “Gave us a chance and that is what you want. We are going to need him to be the Bussi like he has been from the start.”
Added coach Rod Brind’Amour: “He’s going to want that one back, but he is the reason we got the point. He made some really big saves.”
After the emotional pregame festivities, the game settled into a playoff-type slog between teams that have combined to win the Stanley Cup in each of the past three seasons.
Florida was back-to-back champion before succumbing to injuries to several key players and missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. The Panthers were back to playing their aggressive forecheck game Tuesday, stifling things in the same way the Hurricanes did last season in claiming Eastern Conference superiority and going 16-3 in the postseason with a plus-27 goal differential.
“Two really good teams going at it,” Aho said. “Emotional night, emotional start. They were a little better in the first. After that, a hard-fought game between two teams good at defending. A tight match. Don’t think there was a lot out there.”
Carolina had three shots in the first period and 15 for the game.
The Hurricanes went 0-for-6 on the power play. The Panthers went 0-for-7.
“If our power play was a little better, I think we would be happier,” Staal said. “We grinded. It was tight. That’s a good team.”
