Hurricanes Goalie Frederik Andersen Out for Game 5 Against Devils

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes won’t have goaltender Frederik Andersen for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against New Jersey on Tuesday night, opening the door for 25-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov to make his first start of this postseason.

Coach Rod Brind'Amour ruled Andersen out after Tuesday’s morning skate as the Hurricanes aim to clinch the best-of-seven series. Andersen sustained an upper-body injury in the second period of Sunday’s win at New Jersey after a hit from Devils forward Timo Meier.

Brind’Amour did not specify the nature of Andersen’s injury but provided a brief update. “Here’s what I’ll tell you: He’s day-to-day and he’s out tonight for sure,” the coach said.

Andersen has been a crucial part of the team’s playoff run, posting a 1.59 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage in the first four games of the series. Kochetkov, who last played on April 16, came in during Game 4 and faced immediate pressure, giving up a goal to Meier on his second shot before settling down.

This season, Kochetkov appeared in 47 games and recorded a 27-16-3 record with a 2.60 GAA and .898 save percentage. The Hurricanes, however, struggled towards the end of the regular season, losing seven of their last eight games while securing their seventh consecutive playoff spot.

Despite the recent challenges, Kochetkov had a solid mid-March, winning five straight starts, although he lost five of his last seven games as the team prepared for the postseason. Forward Jordan Martinook expressed confidence in both goaltenders, noting that they’ve successfully alternated throughout the season.

Brind’Amour acknowledged that Kochetkov has a history of bouncing back effectively from layoffs and mentioned the possibility of starting him even without Andersen’s injury to manage the veteran’s workload.

“This isn’t like we’re putting in a guy we don’t trust or hasn’t played a ton of games for us,” Brind’Amour said. “So we have a lot of faith in him.”