Andersen's steady play in net has the Hurricanes back in the Eastern final for 2nd time in 3 years

RALEIGH, N.C. — Frederik Andersen has stayed as calmly consistent as it gets in the NHL playoffs. That's helped the Carolina Hurricanes make it back to the Eastern Conference final for the second time in three seasons.

The 35-year-old veteran has the best save percentage and goals-against average in the postseason among goalies with multiple starts, notably by holding opponents to one or zero goals in six of his nine starts. He's coming off giving up six goals in five second-round games against the Washington Capitals, who posted the conference's best regular-season record and was second behind Winnipeg for the Presidents' Trophy.

''He's just doing what we knew he could always do,'' defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said Saturday as the Hurricanes await the end of the Florida-Toronto series to learn their next opponent. ''He's been the backbone of our team for sure, all playoffs. And we've relied on him heavily in the sense he's making that big save for us that allows us to win these games.''

Andersen has posted elite numbers so far.

He's 7-2 with a 1.36 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. No other starting goaltender has a sub-2.00 GAA in the playoffs entering the weekend. And he's been a perfect backstop for a defense that has smothered its first two foes.

''I just try to be as good as possible in every situation, and be in the moment in whatever comes in front of me and in whatever situation in the game,'' Andersen said before the Hurricanes' Game 5 closeout of the Caps. "I don't get to decide how much we have the puck, how much they have the puck and how many times they shoot it.

''I've just got to put myself in the best position to make saves in whatever situation comes.''

''He gave us the ‘I want the net,' and that's all you need to hear,'' coach Rod Brind'Amour said before Game 4 of the first-round series against New Jersey.

The other has been his durability so far after health and injury issues of recent year. The only hiccup in these playoffs was an early exit in Game 4 against the Devils due to a hit by a skating-in Timo Meier that sidelined him for the Game 5 clincher, though a long break between rounds had him back in the crease for Game 1 against Washington.

He's had strong postseason stretches before, notably when the Hurricanes last reached the Eastern final in 2023 and his 1.83 GAA was second among goalies with multiple postseason starts. But the health issues had been more frequent, from him missing the 2022 playoffs due to a lower-body injury late in the regular season to appearing in just 16 regular-season games last season due to a blood-clotting issue.

This year, he missed November, December and most of January due to knee surgery then returned as part of a rotation with 25-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov.

''I just kind of enjoy being out here," Andersen said. "I think that's one of the bigger things for me. You guys obviously know my history the last couple of years with some things that no one wants to have happen to you. You go through it and it's a good reminder of how precious this time you get to play the sport is.''

To that point, Andersen has faced as many as 30 shots on goal only once in the postseason. The Capitals never managed more than 21 shots in any game, and had seven or fewer shots in 11 of 15 regulation periods. And he recently signed a one-year contract extension to return next season alongside Kochetkov.

In the meantime, keeping Andersen fresh and healthy is a priority. After all, the Hurricanes are merely at the halfway point in their pursuit to win a second Stanley Cup, the other coming in 2006 with Brind'Amour as captain.

''When Freddie is in net, he's a stud and he's been a stud his whole career,'' Carolina captain Jordan Staal said after Thursday's win in Washington. ''You guys always talk about his calmness and he's a rock, just makes things look easy.''

___

AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Washington contributed to this report.