The Carolina Hurricanes are going back to veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen in Game 4 as they look to avoid being swept by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final for the second straight season. 

Andersen started Game 1 and Game 2 for the Hurricanes and allowed nine goals on 36 shots, leading head coach Rod Brind’Amour to opt for Pyotr Kochetkov in Game 3. Kochetkov, 25, allowed six goals on 28 shots, as Carolina fell 6–2 to set up Monday’s elimination game. 

Giving the starters’ net back to Andersen, the first goalie off the ice at Monday’s morning skate, will see the Hurricanes revert to their primary starter throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So far, the 35-year-old Danish netminder has a 7-4 record, a 2.01 goals against average, and a .907 save percentage. 

His recent postseason run comes after an abbreviated regular season that saw him post a 13-8-1 record and a .899 save percentage. He missed the first 39 regular-season games while recovering from a knee injury. 

Goaltending has been far from the only issue facing the Hurricanes in the third round against the defending Stanley Cup champions. They have scored just four goals, compared to Florida’s 16 and continue to look for answers at both ends of the ice in an effort to avoid a sweep, as they suffered against the Panthers in 2024. 

Entering Game 4, the Hurricanes are riding a 15-game losing streak in Eastern Conference Final games. Meanwhile, the Panthers will be without Niko Mikkola, A.J. Greer and Sam Reinhart.

Puck drop is set for 8:00 pm ET at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Monday night, and the series would shift back to the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., for Game 5 on Wednesday, should the Hurricanes come out victorious on home ice.