- Frederik Andersen says he’s having a “ton of fun” as Carolina chases the Stanley Cup
- The 36-year-old is 10-1 with a 1.56 GAA, .923 save percentage and two shutouts in 11 playoff games
- Read below for Brind’Amour’s deadpan take and the Canes’ Game 4 plan in Montreal
Frederik Andersen is having a blast. He just doesn’t always look like it.
The Hurricanes goalie told reporters Tuesday in Montreal that the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been “a ton of fun,” per NHL.com’s Bill Price. He’s 10-1 with a 1.56 goals-against average, a .923 save percentage and two shutouts through 11 postseason games. Carolina leads the Canadiens 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Final with Game 4 set for Wednesday at Bell Centre.
Now in his 11th NHL season, the 36-year-old has never reached a Stanley Cup Final. He’s getting close.
Rod Brind’Amour was asked about his goaltender’s mood and went into deadpan mode.
“I just saw him walking out of here, he didn’t look like too excited. That might be you guys (the media). No, he’s very even keeled. And for that position, that’s really important.”
Watch Andersen and Brind’Amour break down the Game 3 win:
That even-keeled approach has been the story of Carolina’s playoffs. The Canes have squeezed the life out of opponents. Montreal got just 13 shots in Game 3, with only one in the third period and one in overtime.
Game 2 wasn’t much different. Andersen faced just 12 shots that night.
Andersen says staying sharp when the puck isn’t coming his way is its own challenge.
“I think it’s something you have to learn. Playing behind this team, we have the puck a lot, we pressure hard, so yeah, these kind of games kind of happen quite often as you’ve probably seen. Just take that experience and battle with yourself to be focused on what’s next.”
The numbers back the approach. Carolina is 5-0 in overtime games and 5-0 on the road this postseason. The Canes have a chance to push the Habs to the brink Wednesday in front of a Bell Centre crowd that has yet to faze them.
Andrei Svechnikov’s overtime winner Monday flipped the series. The road squad isn’t shying away from the bonus hockey either:
For more on the night that gave Carolina the series lead, read our recap of Svechnikov’s overtime winner. Game 4 puck drop is 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
