She wore a jacket embroidered with the word "Daddy."
This has been a season unexpected in so many ways for Raanta. He signed with the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent July 28 along with Frederik Andersen, forming the duo who would go on to win the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goalies who allowed the fewest goals in the NHL this season (202), but he did not expect to be the starter in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But there he was at the end of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Boston Bruins at PNC Arena on Saturday, scrambling and scrabbling and scratching to prevent a final, game-tying goal after David Pastrnak scored with 22 seconds remaining, willing them to a 3-2 win.
"When they got the second one, it was probably the longest 20 seconds in my life, for sure," Raanta said, his voice shaking. "It was just a scramble to the end. But when the buzzer sounded, it was probably the best feeling in a long time. Just a big relief, also."
He hung on, and so did the Hurricanes, who won the best-of-7 series. Raanta made 27 saves, none more impressive than the one against Taylor Hall at 10:39 of the first period, on a 2-on-1 with Erik Haula that could have changed the tenor of the game.
"Proud of him," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "He's been through a lot this year -- not just physically, I mean overall -- and to have that? No one, at the start of the year, would have anticipated him being the guy and then to step in in the biggest moments and be the guy, I'm proud of him and happy for him because he's gone through so much."
***RELATED: [Complete Bruins vs Hurricanes series coverage]*
Raanta lost not only his father last summer, but his grandfather too, the latter dying of COVID-19. His father died after a contracting a lung infection during surgery, days after his grandfather.
Raanta's father would text him before every game, a void that has been missing in each of the goalie's 28 regular-season and six playoff starts.
"Before the game, we were talking with 'Paulie' (Hurricanes goalie coach Paul Schonfelder) -- we always have the little chat before the game -- and [he] pretty much told me that 'Whatever happens today, your old man, wherever he's watching, he's super proud,'" said Raanta, who turned 33 on Thursday. "I think that was the last thing to kind of get in your head.
"Obviously it would be great if my dad would be here and he would see this. But I'm sure he's somewhere and he's super happy."
He would have to be.
Andersen was the primary starter all season, going 35-14-3 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 52 games (51 starts). But he sustained a lower-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche on April 16 and was not available for the first round.
"When 'Freddy' got hurt, it was like, OK, now it's a chance for me to show what I can do on a big stage," Raanta said. "Starting from Game 1, I thought my game was pretty good. … When one of the best goalies in the League goes down with an injury, obviously it's going to sting a little bit, but like we've been playing the whole year, the team in front of me is doing a great job.
"I just tried to do my job."
