LAS VEGAS -- Brandon Bussi is an undrafted rookie, claimed on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes last October as a depth goaltender. Now, he's a winning starting goalie in the Stanley Cup Final, stopping 18 of 21 shots in his club's 5-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
"To come in and do what he did is very special," Carolina right wing Jackson Blake said.
Was this the biggest win of his career?
"The next win's always the best one. So, that's all I'll say for that," Bussi said. "I think we're going to enjoy this one tonight, but come tomorrow morning, we're focused on Game 5. Personally, I feel like I will be able to appreciate this more after the season is over."
Bussi, 27, was the surprise starter in Game 4 for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen, who started the previous 16 playoff games for Carolina, was a healthy scratch. Pyotr Kochetkov was the backup to Bussi.
Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said he enjoyed building suspense around his goaltending decision for this critical playoff game. He would only offer a "you'll see" when asked about his starter hours before Game 4.
But the decision had already been made. Brind'Amour said he spoke with his goaltending coach for about a minute and was told that Andersen could use a rest.
Andersen was pulled after two periods in Game 3, having given up four goals on 16 shots. Bussi entered to start the third period and stopped 18 of 19 shots, including a penalty shot from the postseason's leading scorer, Mitch Marner, early in the third. Carolina eventually lost on a goal that deflected off Bussi and into the net on a freakish bounce off the end boards, following a Shea Theodore shot.
Game 3 was his first appearance since April 14. Bussi said seeing that action helped him prepare for Game 4.
"It's hard to keep game reps in practice, right? So, I think that definitely helped for sure," he said. "But credit to our team, our work ethic in practice, and all the skates that I've been doing throughout the playoffs here to keep me ready."
Andersen's numbers have sharply declined in the last two rounds of the playoffs. In series sweeps of Ottawa and Philadelphia, Andersen, slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July, had a .950 save percentage and a 1.12 goals-against average. Since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Andersen has a save percentage of .856 and a 2.77 GAA. Against Vegas, he has given up 12 goals on 65 shots faced for a .815 save percentage.
Bussi, a native of Sound Beach, New York, was the team's primary starter for most of the regular season, going 31-6-2 in 39 games, with a .895 save percentage and a 2.47 average. And he presented a slightly different challenge for the Golden Knights on Tuesday. Andersen catches left-handed, and Bussi catches with his right hand.
Bussi said his fiancée and her parents were in Vegas for Game 3, and that his parents "scrambled to get here" for his Stanley Cup Final start. "Not easy from New York," he added. "So, obviously [it] means a lot for all the people to show up and support us."
The rookie goaltender wasn't perfect in Game 4. The two goals he surrendered to William Karlsson and Brett Howden in the second period were ones he might want back. But Bussi was great when he needed to be, going 9-for-9 on Vegas shots in the third period to preserve the win.
"It's unbelievable to go out and put a performance on like that after not playing for a while," left wing Nikolaj Ehlers said. "He's been coming to the rink every single day with a smile on his face and has been working really hard. So we knew he was ready for it."
Bussi will be ready for Game 5 on Thursday night in Raleigh, but Brind'Amour was noncommittal about whether Bussi keeps the crease or Andersen retakes it after four days off to reset.
"I'm not making any decisions yet," he said.
No matter what happens next, Bussi will always be a winner in the Stanley Cup Final. Not bad for an undrafted rookie.
"This is what a lot of kids grow up, they dream up doing something like this," Bussi told ESPN's Emily Kaplan after the win. "I'm honored to have the opportunity. It was a great effort by us tonight, and I'm excited to get back to Raleigh."