Carolina Hurricanes Switch Goalies for Game 2 of Eastern Conference Finals

The Carolina Hurricanes made a surprising move by starting goalie Antti Raanta in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. This decision came after Frederik Andersen played four overtimes in Game 1, which resulted in a 2-1 win for the Panthers and a 2-0 series lead.

Raanta’s Performance

Raanta, 34, stopped 24 of 26 shots in Game 2. Despite his efforts, the Panthers managed to win the game. Raanta had last appeared in the Hurricanes’ Game 5 loss against the New York Islanders in the first round on April 25. Andersen had taken over the crease, won Game 6, and had started every game since then, winning five of seven games.

Load-Management Decision

Andersen and Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky both played 139 minutes and 47 seconds in Game 1, which was the sixth-longest game in Stanley Cup playoff history. Panthers coach Paul Maurice named Bobrovsky his starter for Game 2 without hesitation. However, Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour hinted that they were considering a load-management decision for their goaltenders after Game 1. Brind’Amour acknowledged that it was necessary to switch to Raanta as Andersen had played the whole game in Game 1.

Considering Raanta’s Dominance on Home Ice

One consideration in switching to Raanta was his dominance on home ice. In the regular season, Raanta won 11 of 12 home games with three shutouts and a .916 save percentage. In his 11 previous playoff home games, Raanta was 8-1 with a .943 save percentage and a 1.53 goals-against average with one shutout. However, in the first round, Raanta was only 2-1 with a .905 save percentage at home.

The Carolina Hurricanes’ decision to switch to Antti Raanta for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals was a surprise move. Despite Raanta’s strong performance, the Hurricanes fell to the Panthers, who now hold a 2-0 series lead. The decision to switch goalies was made to manage the workload of Frederik Andersen, who played the entire Game 1. Raanta’s dominance on home ice was also a factor in the decision.