Bussi Makes 23 Saves in Hurricanes’ 4-2 Game 5 Win
Brandon Bussi made 23 saves and the Hurricanes beat the Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday at Lenovo Center. Bussi started again after winning his first playoff start two nights earlier, and Carolina now holds a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Brandon Bussi at Lenovo Center
Bussi handled the net again with Frederik Andersen out of the lineup for a second straight game. Pyotr Kochetkov backed him up, and the Hurricanes also called up Amir Miftakhov from Chicago of the American Hockey League after Rod Brind'Amour said, “Everybody’s available,” to dress for Game 5.
The 27-year-old has moved from emergency depth to the center of Carolina’s run in the final. He had not played in the NHL before this season, then took over after Andersen allowed four goals on 16 shots in the first two periods of Game 3.
Andersen and the shift in net
Andersen started Carolina's first 16 games this postseason, but the final has turned into a different stretch for the Hurricanes. He allowed 12 goals on 65 shots in the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final, while Bussi stopped 18 of 19 shots in relief in Game 3 and then posted 18 saves in Tuesday’s 5-3 victory in Game 4 at Vegas.
That run gives Bussi 59 saves on 65 shots in three appearances in the Cup Final. It also leaves Carolina one win from the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2006, with Game 6 on Sunday carrying the chance to finish the series.
Jordan Staal on Bussi
Jordan Staal said, “'Bus Man' has been great” after Game 5, and added, “It's not an easy job stepping in and doing what he did, and he's going to have to keep doing that if you want a chance.” Shayne Gostisbehere also pointed to the stretch that got Bussi here, saying, “He's prepared for this moment for almost two months now,” and, “It's good to see Bussi getting the opportunity.”
The numbers show why Carolina kept the same plan. Bussi signed with the Boston Bruins as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after his junior season at Western Michigan, spent three full seasons in the AHL with Providence, and had a four-game stint in the ECHL with Maine in 2022-23 before this postseason shifted his role for the Hurricanes.
