Recap: Andersen Shines Again In Game 3 Victory

ELMONT, NY. - The Carolina Hurricanes got another stellar performance from their netminder on Thursday, as Frederik Andersen backstopped the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory.

Blue Line Buries Early...

With the series shifting to Long Island for the first time, the Canes turned back to Andersen in net for a third consecutive game.

His first time making three starts in a row since Round 2 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it didn't take long for the veteran netminder to find himself playing with the lead.

Just 4:46 in, as he often does, Brent Burns put a quick shot on from the point. Finding its way through a mess of bodies, the attempt hit Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly before getting by Ilya Sorokin.

Giving the visitors momentum to start the night, the Islanders pushed right back, but Andersen came up with his first of two highlight-reel saves in the game.

After a Mat Barzal shot from the slot left a rebound netside for Noah Dobson, Carolina's netminder reached out with his glove hand and snared the putback from a wide-open cage.

Instead of it being a 1-1 game, moments later, Dmitry Orlov put his team ahead by two.

Jumping up into a rush chance, Andrei Svechnikov put one right on the tape of the streaking defenseman, who displayed some patience before making it a 2-0 contest.

Keeping The Foot On The Gas...

Just three days removed from watching the Islanders try and sit on a multi-goal lead, the same effort was not in the plans tonight for Carolina.

Although New York would get on the board to start the period, the Canes came charging right back.

4:26 following Pierre Engvall getting the Islanders on in the goal column, Sebastian Aho wristed home a response for Carolina. While New York's goal came following a nice setup from Captain Anders Lee, Aho's second goal in as many games was made possible by Jalen Chatfield and Andrei Svechnikov.

After the Canes' top line center reinstated his team's two-goal lead, Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy made a shocking move, pulling Sorokin in his first start of the series. Allowing three goals on 14 shots, he turned back to Semyon Varlamov, who started Games 1 & 2 in Raleigh, for the final 32 minutes.

Whether that was the turning point of things for the Islanders, or they were confident that what they'd produced thus far was going to swing things in their favor eventually, the home side dictated the rest of the contest.

It's Freddie's World & We're All Just Living In It...

3-2 going to the finish, the Islanders played perhaps their best period of the series.

Putting the pressure on Carolina for almost the entire 20 minutes that remained, they held the Canes to just three shots in the final period of regulation while they put test after test onto Andersen at the other end of the ice.

Turning away each chance that came his way, no save was bigger than one he made with just under six minutes on the clock.

Clipped in his crease, rendering him down and seemingly out, Andersen threw up his glove as Brock Nelson fired from across his body.  Somehow catching it, it would go on to be the final close call of the evening.

When the final horn sounded, the scoreboard reflected the same 3-2 score, meaning the Canes had taken a 3-0 series lead at UBS Arena.

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour on the performance as a whole...

"The first two periods were okay.  Fine.  We knew it was coming.  They were going to give everything they had (in the third) and that's exactly what happened.  Freddie came up with a couple of huge saves and that's the difference in the game."

Jordan Martinook, with a laugh, on Andersen's night...

"I don't get impressed by him anymore because he does it every night.  I've said it before to other guys, I don't think I've seen a goalie as calm as he is in the net.  We could under siege and he is making save after save, but it just doesn't look like he's ever really breathing heavy.  He probably is, he's a big boy, but his demeanor in the net helps us too.  When he's sitting back, not moving much, making saves, you look back there and you're like, 'Okay, our guy is back there, he's doing his thing, now let's pick it up a little bit and help him out.'"

Andrei Svechnikov when asked about what needs to be done to end the series in Game 4...

"Just play our game.  That's what we do all season long, just play our game.  Forecheck hard, grind them down and make them tired.  They're going to make mistakes.  We've got the talent in the locker room and that's how we score our goals."

What's Next?

The Canes are scheduled to practice on Friday before returning to action on Saturday for Game 4.

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