Bussi impresses in playoff debut for Hurricanes despite Game 3 loss

LAS VEGAS -- Brandon Bussi waited nearly two months for his first opportunity to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It might be only three days before he gets his next chance.

That is to be determined after Bussi was the hard-luck losing goalie in relief of Frederik Andersen in the Carolina Hurricanes’ 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.

Bussi, who replaced Andersen with the Hurricanes trailing 4-0 after two periods, stopped the first 18 shots he faced, including Mitch Marner’s penalty shot in the third period, before Shea Theodore’s right point shot bounced off the end boards before caroming in off his left skate at 5:38 of the second overtime.

“I saw it all the way,” Bussi said. “It hit the yellow and shot out a lot quicker than I thought, so I guess I kicked it in. It stinks. It's not what we wanted. We felt like we had our chances in overtime, but to win the Stanley Cup, it's hard.

“We put this one behind us.”

Trailing 2-1 in the best-of-7 series, the Hurricanes have two days off to regroup before Game 4 here on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC). Whether Bussi or Andersen will start that game is to be decided.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour lauded Bussi for playing well in the first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance of his career, but wasn’t ready to name a Game 4 starter.

“We’ll figure all that out later,” Brind’Amour said. “We’ve got a couple days to reassess how we’re going to go about the next game. But I give him credit for coming in and he played well. … I hate that’s the goal that kind of ends the game.”

Before Bussi took over to start the third period, Andersen played every minute of the Hurricanes’ first 16 games this postseason. Andersen was 12-1 with a 1.41 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and three shutouts through the first three rounds.

With the Hurricanes making uncharacteristic defensive mistakes in front of him in the Cup Final, though, Andersen has struggled, too, giving up 12 goals on 65 shots for a 4.44 GAA and .815 save percentage.

The 36-year-old gave up four goals on 16 shots in the first two periods Saturday, including four goals on 14 in a disastrous second period in which the Golden Knights also had two goals disallowed following successful Coach’s Challenges -- one for offside and one for goalie interference.

“There was a couple tap-ins and breakaways and we were all over the place,” Hurricanes center Jordan Staal said. “So, we left Freddie out to dry. He's been great for us, so I do feel bad for him, but it is what it is.”

With the game looking like it was over, Brind’Amour decided to give Andersen the rest of the night off.

“There's no reason to leave Freddie in there the way that game was going,” Brind’Amour said.

Bussi hadn’t played since April 14, when he made 29 saves in a 2-1 victory against the New York Islanders in Carolina’s regular-season finale.

Approaching his 28th birthday on June 25, Bussi is too old to be considered a rookie, but he essentially is one. He had an eye-opening first season in the NHL after being claimed off waivers from the Boston Bruins on Oct. 5, going 31-6-2 with a 2.47 GAA, .895 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 regular-season games.

He worked hard to stay ready in practice for whenever he got his chance and when he saw how the second period unfolded, he figured it might be coming.

“I wasn't certain, but I saw what was happening,” he said. “I think we probably could have been a little better for Freddie there in the second. And if my name got called, my job's just to put my head down and stop the puck.”

Bussi showed no signs of nerves, stopping the first two shots he faced before Marner was awarded a penalty shot when Sebastian Aho slashed him while he was on a short-handed breakaway 4:04 into the third period. Marner had three goals and an assist in the second period, but Bussi calmly stared him down on the penalty shot and got a piece of his backhand with his catching glove to keep Carolina’s deficit at 4-0.

Bussi said his simple approach was, “Stop the puck.”

Bussi’s save seemed to spark the Hurricanes, who set a Stanley Cup Final record by scoring three goals in a span of 39 seconds to pull within 4-3. Then, Andrei Svechnikov tied it with a 6-on-4 power-play goal with 1:42 left in regulation.

“He was incredible,” Martinook said of Bussi. “… But we know we've had two good guys all year, so we have a ton of faith in ‘Buss,’ and he played well when he got in there.”

Bussi stopped seven shots in the first overtime and two more in the second overtime before a bad bounce on Theodore’s winner got the best of him.

“Honestly, I was pretty even-keel, right?” he said. “I think these are the moments you want to be playing in, right? So, I just put my head down, have fun with it. And it was a great effort by us. Obviously, a tough bounce there in overtime. Kind of felt like it was going to be a greasy one.

“Unfortunately, it was in our net, so we'll regroup."

Bussi said he’d be ready again if he gets the call to make his first NHL playoff start in Game 4.

“That's not my call, though,” he said. “Fred's the reason why we're here right now. So. if they tell me I'm going, great, if not, I'll be ready.”