Bussi starts again for Hurricanes in Game 5 win in Cup Final

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Brandon Bussi started again and made 23 saves for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on Thursday.

Carolina leads the best-of-7 series 3-2 thanks in part to Bussi, who made 18 saves in his first Stanley Cup Playoff start in a 5-3 victory in Game 4 at Vegas on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes can win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2006 with another victory in Game 6 on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC).

No. 3 goalie Pyotr Kochetkov served as Bussi's backup again. Frederik Andersen, who started Carolina's first 16 games this postseason, did not participate in the morning skate. Coach Rod Brind'Amour had said, "He skated this morning early," though he did not dress for the second straight game.

After Brind’Amour said, “Everybody’s available,” to dress for Game 5, the Hurricanes called up goalie Amir Miftakhov from Chicago of the American Hockey League. The 26-year-old was 12-8-7 with a 3.25 goals-against average, .888 save percentage and two shutouts in 28 AHL regular-season games this season. Miftakhov is 2-0 with a 2.36 GAA and .940 save percentage in three playoff games for Chicago, which hosts Toronto for Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final on Friday.

Andersen is 13-2 with 1.89 GAA, .910 save percentage and three shutouts in the playoffs, but he struggled in the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final, allowing 12 goals on 65 shots for a 4.44 GAA and .815 save percentage.

Andersen was replaced by Bussi after allowing four goals on 16 shots in the first two periods of a 5-4 double-overtime loss in Game 3. Bussi stopped 18 of 19 shots in relief -- his first appearance since the Hurricanes' regular-season finale on April 14 -- and responded when Brind'Amour called on him to start Game 4.

"'Bus Man' has been great," Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. "It's not an easy job stepping in and doing what he did, and he's going to have to keep doing that if you want a chance. He's a big goalie that battles hard and grinds and finds ways to get wins, so we're happy with any goalie that's in our organization that's in the net."

Although Brind'Amour said earlier this week that Andersen is not injured, he said goalie coach Paul Schonfelder told him on Monday, "Freddie needs a little break." Brind'Amour gave Andersen the night off completely on Tuesday, dressing Kochetkov as the backup.

Bussi started and made the most of the opportunity, thus earning another start in Game 5.

The 27-year-old has stopped 59 of 65 shots (.908 save percentage) in his three appearances in the Cup Final.

"He's prepared for this moment for almost two months now," Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said. "I mean, you could talk to him, he's a pretty easy guy to talk to, calm, cool and collected. I think that leads down from Freddy too. Freddy's a lead by example guy. You never know his emotions. He's a calm, cool, collected guy as well.

"It's good to see Bussi getting the opportunity."

Bussi hadn't played in the NHL before this season, toiling in the AHL for three full seasons with Providence, plus a four-game stint in the ECHL with Maine in 2022-23, after signing with the Boston Bruins as an undrafted free agent in 2022 following his junior season at Western Michigan. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025, but was claimed off waivers by the Hurricanes on Oct. 5 when the Panthers tried to send him to Charlotte of the AHL.

With Kochetkov limited to nine games because a lower-body injury that required surgery and Andersen struggling at times, Bussi made a team-high 39 starts during the regular season and was 31-6-2 with a 2.47 GAA, .895 save percentage and two shutouts.

"Bus has been a staple for us back there, and he's done a great job what he's been asked to do," Hurricanes defenseman  K'Andre Miller said. "He's stepped up, he's been nothing but what we expected, and he's been really a calming presence back there, and comes up and makes the big saves where we need them."