Andersen or Bussi?
The goalie question is one that’s been lurking under the surface ever since the puck dropped for Round 1, Game 1 on April 18th. In each series it had been expected that the regular season savior Brandon Bussi would make an appearance. Frederik Andersen, however, did what you want a goalie to do and just seized control of the net. You could absolutely argue that Bussi should have had at least one appearance during one of the other series, but as they say in the Hangover, you never walk away from the table when you’re on a heater.
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Unfortunately over the first three games, that heater has ended. Bob discussed it yesterday in the post linked above—by the raw numbers Andersen has just not been good and any time six pucks get past you in one period you can make all the excuses in the world, it’s not going to win you games. What is also easy to see with your own eyes is that despite not playing in a real game for over two months, Bussi came in and the team was able to tie the game in the third. He was exactly what that team needed, and honestly the goal to end the game wasn’t a real shot—just a very fluky bounce on a random push back attempt.
Thus we are now at the point of wondering who’ll be manning the crease. Fans thought they may have had a clue when the Canes came out for practice on Monday to this set up:
Of course it turns out that Brind’Amour is just messing with all of us.
Honestly, why not have fun with it? History tells us it’ll be Andersen but with a shorter leash. Then again the man who is supposedly stubborn had lines blended so wildly on Saturday to get the team to storm back, it is possible he recognizes for the team to play better defense, it has to be Bussi in net.
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You think Bussi is going to give you any sort of lead? Think again.
Seriously, it is nice to see after how intense the first three games have been, there does seem to still be a sense of humor with this team. It’s a good thing because it’s only a 2-1 deficit the Canes are looking at, yet it feels worse in a lot of ways due to the three and four goal deficits that the Canes have had to overcome the last two games. Lost in all of the intensity of this is the fact that the goalie for the Golden Knights hasn’t exactly shone that brightly, either. Three goals in 39 seconds is something no goalie wants on their resume, and giving up significant leads in back-to-back games would normally have a team thinking about their strategy, too. But, because Vegas is up, no one is really talking about pulling him for Aiden Hill.
It does point to the biggest frustration for Carolina and one that should also give fans the most hope—Carolina has yet to play anything close to a complete game this series, and if they are able to the chances they can go on a run are high. The question, of course, is are they having trouble because they just can’t get out of their own heads or is Vegas just responsible for it? It’s probably a little of both, complete with one team reaching this level for the first time as a unit while the other has a lot of folks with recent experience.
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The other question going into tonight was on William Carrier, who left early in Game 3. However, as everyone noted Carrier was on the ice and practicing with his usual line mates, and with the way Brind’Amour does things it means he’s playing. Also note K’Andre Miller out on the ice, as Ray Ferraro erroneously reported that he didn’t take a shift during the second overtime. Miller didn’t miss a shift then, but no one ever really corrected Ferraro.
On the Vegas side there’s a little more intrigue as neither Noah Hanifin nor Brayden McNabb took the ice for the Vegas Golden Knights’ public practice yesterday. For McNabb it’s doubtful he’ll miss a game after playing Saturday, so it’s likely it was just a move to try and limit his contact as he has to play with the full face cage. Hanifin is interesting if only because it’s clear he’s hurting, and the need to take a practice off could speak to just the level of injury he’s dealing with even though he’s probably playing.
Someone who is absolutely playing—the current Conn Smythe favorite Mitch Marner. The performance on Saturday may have sealed the award for him whether Vegas wins or loses, and either way the Hurricanes are going to have to try to account for him better. Does Carolina try to clog things defensively a little bit more, or sit back a little bit more to prevent his breakout ability? Does that open up the offense for the rest of Veags?
Perhaps the biggest question—after three ridiculous games do we have yet another classic brewing for tonight? The stakes are tighter as a Carolina win turns this into a best-of-three series with the Canes having home ice, while a Vegas win means the Stanley Cup will be back in Lenovo Thursday Night as the Golden Knights would be one win away.
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As for how to watch—if you don’t have a ticket to tonight’s watch party at Lenovo, you’re now out of luck unless someone will transfer a ticket to you. If you have a ticket, a word of advice from someone there on Saturday night who had a blast—have a plan. The folks at the arena are treating this like a game with traffic control, full security, and everything staffed, but getting a seat is basically like an 1800’s land grab. All three levels are open, and every seat is general admission. If your plan is to get there at about 6:30, line up, and easily get your seat you are in for a surprise. People are lining up early to get their first choice, so account for rush hour traffic, and know what direction you’re headed for when you go through the door.
Inside, all the concessions should be open, at regular season prices, and be mindful the line for people to get the Stanley Cup patch on their jersey will be long, wrapping around half of the concourse. The game day staff put on an outstanding show, complete with pregame videos, siren sounders, entertainment during the commercials, and Stormy. During action, peep at the ice and you’re going to notice the live player dots that mirror the action on the screen.
If you aren’t going to be at Lenovo or another watch party, here’s how you can catch the action:
Time: 8 PM Eastern
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TV: ABC with Sean McDonough handling play-by-play, Ray Ferraro between the benches for color, Emily Kaplan handling off-ice interviews, and Dave Jackson providing the officiating view. Note that The Point pregame show with Steve Levy, PK Subban, Mark Messier, and Erik Johnson will be on ESPN2 starting at 6 PM as ESPN has WNBA coverage.
Streaming Video: The ESPN App has the main feed, a skycast alt feed, ASL feed, and a Spanish feed.
Radio: Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy call the action. The pregame Storm Watch with Adam Gold on 99.9 The Fan starts at 7 PM and runs for 60 minutes. At 8 PM the Hurricanes Radio Network (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570). You will also be able stream this call through 99.9 on your smart device, app, or the Carolina Hurricanes app—and it’s not geolocked.
Odds (per Fanduel): Hurricanes -110 Moneyline, Puckline Hurricanes +1.5 at -280/Golden Knights -110 Moneyline, Puckline -1.5 at +220, O/U 5.5 (-130 Over/+106 Under)
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