Hurricanes go back to Frederik Andersen in net for Game 4 of East finals against Panthers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes switched starting goalies again for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, going back to Frederik Andersen for Monday night's win-or-else game against the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

And it worked. Andersen made 20 saves and Carolina won 3-0, cutting Florida's lead in the series to 3-1.

“He looked confident,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. “But he always does.”

Andersen started Games 1 and 2, getting pulled after the second period of Game 2. He stopped only 27 of 36 shots in those five periods, and the Hurricanes went to Pyotr Kochetkov to finish Game 2 and then play Game 3.

Kochetkov helped Carolina get into the third period of Game 3 with the score tied at 1-1 — then gave up five goals in a nine-minute span of the third, as Florida pulled away for a 6-2 win and a 3-0 lead in the East title series.

“He's been great for us all year,” Brind'Amour said Monday before the game. “He's had a nice couple of days off, so it makes sense to chuck him in there.”

The result: Andersen's fifth career playoff shutout and second of this postseason.

“We wanted to leave it all there and put our best game at them,” Andersen said.

Brind'Amour didn't blame Kochetkov for the Game 3 loss, noting that he had kept Carolina in the game for 40 minutes. But with the season at stake, Andersen's 82 career postseason starts coming into Monday probably rated him the edge over Kochetkov — who made his fourth career postseason start Saturday.

There won't be any mystery going into Game 5 on Wednesday. After a shutout, it's certain Andersen will have the net once again — in another win-or-else game.

“Happy to get another shot in two days,” Andersen said.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen blocks a shot by the Washington Capitals during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) stops the puck against Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) in the third period of Game 5 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) stops the puck in the third period of Game 5 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Washington Capitals Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Orlando guard Jalen Suggs left the arena aided by a wheelchair on Saturday night after an NBA Cup semifinal loss to New York, and the already short-handed Magic will now wait to learn the severity of his left hip injury.

Suggs was shaken up when he was fouled and landed on the hip late in the second quarter but played on until the fourth quarter. He eventually left the game and headed to the locker room for the final minutes of Orlando's 132-120 loss to the New York Knicks.

Suggs finished with 26 points — 25 coming in the first half. The wheelchair usage was a precaution, largely just to keep Suggs from taking an extended walk to the bus that would carry the Magic back to their hotel. But the hip is clearly cause for some concern.

“We’re going to look at it when we get back,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “At the end of the day, he’s a warrior for being out there and dealing what he’s dealing with. I think we’ll evaluate him when we get back home and see where he is with it.”

The good news for Orlando — which is flying home on Sunday — is that it doesn't play again until Thursday when it opens a four-game trip in Denver. The bad news is that the Magic are already without brothers Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner; Franz has a high ankle sprain, Moritz is still recovering from an ACL tear suffered last season.

To lose Suggs for any amount of time would be another blow for a team that's had no shortage of injury issues over the last couple seasons.

“He’s been battling through some pain the last few games,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said. “He’s just been giving it his all for the team and kind of playing through it. So you hope it’s not too bad, whatever injury it is. You don’t want to lose him. But he gave us a great effort in that first half.”

Suggs was limited to 35 games last season with injuries.

“We know who he is and what he’s about,” Orlando's Desmond Bane said. “He wants to win more than anything. He laid it all on the line for us.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) deflects a pass by Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell, left, during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)