In Saturday’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PNC Arena, Frederik Andersen showcased his prowess with 33 saves, securing a 3-1 victory for the Carolina Hurricanes against the New York Islanders.
Andersen’s standout moment came early in the third period when he made a remarkable save, preserving the tie at 1-1.
Despite being knocked down in front by Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce, Andersen displayed incredible reflexes.
Noah Dobson’s initial shot hit the post, but as the defenseman retrieved the rebound, Andersen swiftly lunged across the crease, denying the Islanders a potential go-ahead goal.
“I think I just got clipped with someone’s skate,” Andersen said. “Just kind of threw the technique book out the window and tried to come up with something to get close to the puck and get something on it.”
Andersen’s stellar performance in Game 1 mirrored his impressive form since his return on March 7 following a bout with a blood clotting issue, which sidelined him for 50 games.
In his final 10 regular-season matchups, Andersen demonstrated consistency, boasting a record of 9-1-0 alongside remarkable statistics: a 1.30 goals-against average, a .951 save percentage, and three shutouts.
“Unfortunately, he’s missed a lot of time, but this is what you get him for,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.
“He’s always been a great goalie, he’s just not been able to stay in there. Hopefully he can stay healthy because if he plays like that, it’s a huge, huge thing.”
At 3:44 of the third period, Stefan Noesen tilted the game in favor of the Carolina Hurricanes, securing a 2-1 lead.
The play unfolded as Evgeny Kuznetsov fired a shot from the right point, which was deflected by Brady Skjei.
Capitalizing on the opportunity, Noesen skillfully swatted the puck into the net with his backhand before it could reach New York Islanders’ goaltender Semyon Varlamov.
“There’s no other way that I know how to do it,” Noesen said. “I’m not the pretty dingle-dangle guy out there. You just go to the net and try to find bounces.”
Skjei found himself in an unusual spot to contribute to the goal.
“I don’t find myself down there too much looking for a tip,” Skjei said. “I saw ‘Kuzy’ and I had a feeling he was going to shoot it, so I just went to the slot and got a stick on it. Obviously, it was a big finish by [Noesen].”
Contributions from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Martin Necas were pivotal for the Hurricanes, the No. 2 seed from the Metropolitan Division, in Game 1. Each player showcased their offensive prowess with a goal and an assist, while Brady Skjei provided two assists, amplifying Carolina’s offensive firepower.
“We weren’t great, that’s for sure,” Brind’Amour said. “[New York] is a perfect example of a team that’s been playing playoff hockey for a month [against] a team that hasn’t. As the game wore on, it started getting up to speed with how it’s going to be.”
Kyle MacLean scored, and Varlamov made 23 saves for the Islanders, who are the No. 3 seed from the Metropolitan.
Game 2 will be in Raleigh on Monday.
“[I am] encouraged because I think we played a really solid game,” New York coach Patrick Roy said. “It was a hard-fought game, but we had our chances. All year we’ve been resilient, and [this] is the moment to continue to do that.”
Kuznetsov gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 1:35 of the first period. He took a pass from Necas and roofed a shot over Varlamov’s right shoulder with Noesen providing a screen in front.
“[Noesen] screened pretty good, and ‘Varly’ didn’t see the puck,” Kuznetsov said. “ That’s why I shot that puck.”
MacLean tied it 1-1 at 8:20 of the first. Anders Lee tipped Alexander Romanov’s shot from the left point, which trickled under Andersen’s pads, and MacLean knocked in the rebound near the right post.
“It’s the playoffs,” MacLean said. “There’s a lot of adrenaline and a lot of excitement, so it was cool to help the team out there early. It was a cool experience getting my first one in [my first playoff game].”
Following Noesen’s go-ahead goal, Kyle Palmieri had an opportunity to level the score during a power play. Picking up a rebound near the left post, Palmieri attempted to slide the puck past Andersen into an open net.
However, his shot ricocheted off the post at 12:31, denying the New York Islanders a chance to tie the game again.
Martin Necas sealed the victory for the Hurricanes with an empty-net goal from center ice, extending Carolina’s lead to 3-1 with just 1:32 remaining in the game.
“We played a simple hockey game. We created some pretty good looks because of that,” Lee said. “Guys were smart with the puck all night, head up, making plays, we just didn’t bury them.
“We played a solid game tonight.”
