- Frederik Andersen is 12-1 with a .931 save percentage, joining Ken Dryden and Gerry Cheevers as the only goalies to win 12 of 13 in a single playoff
- Carter Hart is also 12-1 with a .924 save percentage after sweeping Colorado in the West Final
- Read below for the full breakdown of the Cup Final goalie matchup
The Cup Final goalie matchup is the kind that decides series.
Frederik Andersen and Carter Hart both walk into Tuesday’s Game 1 in Raleigh at 12-1 in the playoffs, both starting after sharing the regular-season net with someone else, and both peaking at the right time.
Andersen’s been historic. He’s 12-1 with a 1.41 GAA and a .931 save percentage that leads every goalie with at least five appearances. Per NHL.com, he’s the third netminder ever to win 12 of his first 13 games in a single playoff, joining Ken Dryden with the 1976 Canadiens and Gerry Cheevers with the 1970 Bruins.
Rod Brind’Amour split the regular season between Andersen and Brandon Bussi, with Andersen getting just 35 starts. None of that mattered. The Hurricanes are back in the Cup Final for the first time since 2006.
Hart’s run is just as wild. He played 18 regular-season games for Vegas after missing almost three months with a lower-body injury, then closed the year on a 6-0-0 run with a .930 save percentage under John Tortorella. He took the starting job from 2023 Cup winner Adin Hill and hasn’t given it back.
Vegas just swept the favored Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. Hart stopped 25 of 26 in the clincher and finished the series with a .944 save percentage.
NHL.com’s goal-chart breakdown flagged one wrinkle Carolina might want to chase: Hart has given up six goals under his blocker arm this postseason, more than four times the league-tracked average. Colorado directed double the shots to that side compared to his glove.
Compare that to Andersen, whose biggest issues have come on screens, deflections, and rebound chances. Both teams will dig at the small cracks.
Game 1 drops Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET in Raleigh.
