That’s been the difference for Andersen since the regular season, when he was 16-14-5 in 35 games (all starts) during the regular season and his 3.05 GAA and .874 save percentage were the worst of his 13-season NHL career. In fact, there was some question heading into the playoffs whether Andersen or rookie Brandon Bussi, who was 31-6-2 with a 2.47 GAA, .895 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 regular-season games (all starts), would get the nod.
Andersen got the call for Game 1 against Ottawa because of his experience, made 22 saves in a 2-0 victory and has made every decision on the starting goalie since then a no-brainer for coach Rod Brind’Amour.
“I don’t think anybody predicted that,” Brind’Amour said. “We certainly went into the playoffs thinking, ‘OK, we’re probably going to use both (goalies).’ Why not? They both deserve to play. And there’s just been no reason to go any other direction.
“He’s just playing lights out, and obviously we need that to continue.”
What’s been different about Andersen in the playoffs?
“I don’t know. I can’t tell you,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s just stopping the puck, and his game always looks the same. That’s the thing about him — you never really know when he’s playing good or bad. It just kind of looks the same, and obviously he’s been great for us.”
Andersen credits his teammates with limiting the scoring chances he faces. With their incessant forecheck pressure, the Hurricanes outshot the Flyers 40-17 on Saturday.
“It’s puck possession,” Andersen said. “We want to be above them and make it hard for them. That’s really the key, I think. We want to limit chances against and put it towards them and make it hard.”
Still, whenever the Flyers, or Senators before them, did get a quality scoring chance, Andersen usually made the save. According to NHL EDGE stats, he leads the playoffs with a .925 save percentage on high-danger shots on goal, stopping 49 of 53. He gave up just one goal on 24 high-danger shots (.958 save percentage) in the second round.
“For me, I’m just staying with it,” Andersen said. “I think that’s the key for me is just to expect whatever they’ve got, and I don’t really look at the chances, the quality, so much. I just try to be in the moment and whatever happens, if I save the one before or if I don’t save it, I try to make the next one. “
Andersen’s most notable save Saturday came against Garnet Hathaway on a 2-on-1 rush with the score tied 1-1 with 3:36 remaining in the second period. Hathaway drove to the right post to take a feed from Luke Glendening on the left wing, but Andersen slid over in time to make the stop with his left pad.
The puck was loose briefly behind Andersen in the crease before Slavin cleared it to safety behind the net.
“He’s so calm, and you’re almost just expecting it every night now, and that’s kind of unfair to him,” Carolina forward Taylor Hall said. “But he forces them to almost make like the perfect shot or make the perfect play to score on him.”
