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Carolina Hurricanes Starting Goaltender Injured and Ruled Out for Game 5 Against New Jersey Devils

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The Carolina Hurricanes have been dealt a heavy blow, as they will be without starting Goaltender Frederik Andersen for a while longer due to injury.

Frederik Andersen Injured in Sunday’s 5-2 Win Against the New Jersey Devils

Early in the second period, a play went awry as Brent Burns’ stick broke at the point in the New Jersey Devils’ zone. The Devils’ top line soon caught the escaping puck as they broke into the Hurricanes’ zone with speed. Ondrej Palat shot toward the net, while Andersen slid over to make the save. As he did so, Timo Meier, who was looking to help get the puck in the net, collided with the 35-year-old Dane deep in his crease. Andersen was knocked backward from the hit, appearing to hit the post while doing so. Palat’s initial shot went wide, wrapping around the backboards and back into their own zone as the referee stopped play due to Andersen’s situation. Though Hurricanes head athletic trainer Doug Bennett rushed onto the ice to assist the injured goaltender, Andersen was able to leave the ice on his own power.

After receiving an evaluation on Monday, it was revealed that Frederik Andersen would be day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

What Does It Mean

Andersen has been the hot hand for the Hurricanes here lately. He currently posts the best numbers out of every other Carolina goalie who has played seven games or more. His save percentage clocks in at .899%, just a tick better than Pyotr Kochetkov’s .897%. Additionally, his goals-against average sits at 2.50, once again slightly more than Kochetkov’s 2.60. The eye-test has been especially telling in the past few games, with precise glovework, speed, and focus well above his average.

While this could be difficult for the Hurricanes with Andersen’s absence, Kochetkov certainly is no one to sneeze at. The Penza, Russia native helped carry the team during their rough patch in the middle of the season as the starting goaltender while Andersen recovered from knee surgery. “That’s obviously not great when you see ‘Freddie’ go down like that, but we know we have ‘Koochie’, too, to back him up”, Jackson Blake said after Sunday’s game. “You know, he’s, in my opinion, still one of the best goalies in the entire league. He’s unbelievable.”

The Backup Backstops

The Hurricanes made an additional move Tuesday morning in the wake of Frederik Andersen’s injury. Spencer Martin was recalled from Carolina’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to serve as Kochetkov’s backup goaltender. A familiar face to Canes fans, Martin has played nine games this season with the team, one in which he recorded a shutout, the first of his NHL Career. With that being said, his play has been choppy in the top league. This season, he posted a .846 SV% and 3.89 GAA. While his numbers may not be the most impressive, he is a solid third-string goalie. During his time with the Wolves this season, he sat at the top of goaltending standings. There, he had a snazzy .909 SV% and 2.34 GAA. Not too shabby.

As for the Emergency Backup Goaltender

Enter Ruslan Khazheyev. The 6’4”, 20-year-old goalie has played 20 games stateside with the Chicago Wolves. During his time in Russia’s junior hockey league, the MHL, his stats were incredible. However, he has notably (and understandably for his young age) struggled in his time with the highest level of minor hockey, the AHL. Numbers aside, his speed and active nature in the net certainly stand out from the crowd.

Hopefully, Frederik Andersen should return soon from this injury. But in the meantime, Kochetkov should do just fine, as he has proven time and again throughout the season.

Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

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