As the Stanley Cup Playoffs reached the Eastern Conference Final, the Carolina Hurricanes were in a strong position. They had easily defeated the New Jersey Devils in five games, and then beat the Washington Capitals just as smoothly, again in five games. Their defense was rock-solid, allowing only seven goals to the Capitals and just 11 goals to the Devils.
So, many expected Carolina to put up a tough fight against the Florida Panthers, who are the defending Stanley Cup champions. But things haven’t gone as planned. Instead of Carolina’s defense standing tall, it’s the Panthers who have taken full control of the series.
In just the first three games, Florida scored 16 goals against the Hurricanes and now lead the series 3-0. In Game 3, they completely overpowered Carolina with a 6-2 win.
Goalie Troubles Hit Hard
One of the main problems for the Hurricanes has been their goaltending. Coach Rod Brind’Amour had started the series with veteran goalie Frederik Andersen, who played very well in the earlier rounds. Against the Devils and Capitals, Andersen had a save percentage above .905 in seven of nine games.
But when the Panthers came in, things went downhill. Andersen had a save percentage of just .750 in the first two games. Because of this, Brind’Amour replaced him with backup goalie Pyotr Kochetkov in Game 3. Sadly, that move didn’t help either, as Kochetkov also struggled badly, allowing six goals on 28 shots.
Kochetkov hasn’t done much better overall either. In three out of his four playoff games, his save percentage has been below .886. These numbers are far from what the Hurricanes needed at this stage of the season.
A Disappointing Repeat?
This isn’t the first time Carolina has fallen short in the Eastern Final. If they lose one more game and get swept by the Panthers, it will be the second time in three years they’ve been knocked out 4-0 in the conference final. Since they won the Stanley Cup in 2005-06, they haven’t won a single game in the Eastern Final.
This will be a huge disappointment for a team that had such a strong run earlier in the playoffs. Despite a solid group of forwards and defenders, poor goaltending has become a big issue at the worst possible time.
Coach Brind’Amour’s Dilemma
After Game 2, Brind’Amour defended Andersen by saying, “I don’t blame Freddie on any of the goals.” But he also admitted that the save percentage was “not great” and said, “We do need some saves.” His statements clearly show the difficulty he faces – trying to stay supportive, but knowing that poor goalie performances are costing them.
Whether or not the coach wants to say it out loud, both Andersen and Kochetkov haven’t delivered in this series.
What’s Next for Carolina?
When this series ends – and it likely will soon – Hurricanes General Manager Eric Tulsky will have some serious decisions to make about the team’s goalies. Both Andersen and Kochetkov are signed for next season at relatively low salaries ($2.75 million and $2 million respectively), but money doesn’t matter if the team can’t rely on them in big games.
Carolina has a strong squad, but as this series has shown, that’s not enough. If the goalies can’t rise to the occasion in critical moments, the rest of the team’s effort goes to waste.
The Hurricanes started the playoffs looking like real title contenders. But poor performances in goal have put them on the verge of elimination by the Florida Panthers. Unless there’s a miracle turnaround, it seems clear that changes are needed – especially in the goalie department – if the Hurricanes want to take the next step in future seasons.
