LAS VEGAS – Brandon Bussi made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, the Carolina Hurricanes goaltender coming in for Frederik Andersen to start the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights in a 5-4, double-overtime loss in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
Bussi saved the first 18 shots he faced while the Hurricanes erased a 4-0 deficit in the third period, but Shea Theodore's shot off the end boards in the second overtime bounced off Bussi's skate and into the net for the game-winner.
Andersen allowed four goals on 14 shots in the second period. Two other goals were disallowed after video reviews. The first would’ve been by Mark Stone, which was nullified by an offside call. The second was a goalie interference call on a Jack Eichel goal.
Undrafted, Bussi signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers on July 1 and was then claimed off waivers by the Hurricanes on Oct. 5. He made his NHL debut this season and was 31-6-2 with a 2.47 goals-against average, .895 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 starts for the Hurricanes.
Andersen is 13-2-0 with a 1.72 GAA and .917 save percentage in 15 starts this postseason. He was outstanding through most of this postseason, allowing two goals or fewer in 12 of his first 13 playoff starts. He’s given up more recently, however, allowing five to the Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Cup Final, a 5-4 win for Vegas, and three in Game 2, which Carolina came back to win 4-3 in overtime.
