Hurricanes don't name Andersen or Bussi as starting goalie for Game 1 vs. Senators

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes did not name a starting goalie ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Ottawa Senators at Lenovo Center on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS), but coach Rod Brind'Amour said both Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi could play in the best-of-7 series.

"We will get to that when we have to," Brind'Amour said after practice Thursday. "We'll have another practice (Friday), and we'll figure everything out after that."

Andersen was 16-14-5 with a 3.05 goals-against average and .874 save percentage in 35 games. Bussi went 31-6-2 with a 2.47 GAA, .895 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 games. He was claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers on Oct. 5 and made his NHL debut at the age of 27.

Since March 1, Andersen is 8-4-0. Bussi is 7-3-1.

"They both played really well that last stretch there and gave us exactly what we wanted, (so we) have a decision to make," Brind'Amour said. "There's a likelihood that you will see both probably."

Andersen had an up-and-down start to his fifth season with Carolina. The 36-year-old won his first three games and then went 4-10-5 before the break for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

"Probably (back) then, I just tried to build every day and continue to work on good habits," Andersen said. "I know what it feels like when I'm playing well and I continue to search for that every day."

Bussi made 16 saves in his debut, a 5-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 14. The remarkable start to his career included becoming the fastest goalie in League history to 25 wins (25-3-1 in 29 games).

"Playing so many games, there's a lot of learning experiences as well," Bussi said. "Playing 6-5 games, 1-0 games, how to react in all those situations, how to find a way to get the job done. All those experiences are very valuable this time of year."

The Hurricanes also expect to have Pyotr Kochetkov available for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had surgery for a lower-body injury in December and returned to play two games for Chicago of the American Hockey League before being recalled Monday. He went 6-2-0 with a 2.33 GAA, .899 save percentage and one shutout in nine NHL games (eight starts) this season.

"He's certainly healthy, but I wouldn't call him an option yet," Brind'Amour said. "It looks like he could (play) if we had to. You never know if you're going to need that, but it's nice to know if you get into a jam or guys get hurt, we've got some options."

The Hurricanes allowed 236 goals this season, tied with the New York Islanders for the seventh fewest in the NHL.

"We never have to worry about our goaltending," forward Seth Jarvis said. "We have three guys who can go in there and steal us games. That's the biggest thing in the playoffs. Sometimes you're not playing your best, but if your goalie can get you a win, it's huge."