Recap: Andersen Shines As Canes Blank Caps

RALEIGH, N.C. - Led by a 21-save shutout effort from Frederik Andersen and goals from four different skaters, the Carolina Hurricanes hammered the Washington Capitals 4-0 to take Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series.

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As was the case in Games 1 and 2, neither team was able to light the lamp in the first period, despite a handful of chances for both sides. But unlike the series' first two entries, it was Carolina opening the scoring in Game 3, as Andrei Svechnikov collected a loose puck off a faceoff, bulldozed his way to the front of the net and fired it past Logan Thompson at 12:34 of the second period.

With time winding down in a tight-checking second stanza, a late power-play gave the Canes an opportunity to double their advantage heading into the third. Jack Roslovic obliged, wiring a wrister from the left circle past Thompson's glove for a 2-0 Carolina lead.

Carrying momentum into the final frame, Carolina quickly tightened its grip with an Eric Robinson laser from the left circle at 3:17. Jackson Blake put the cherry on top with the team's second power-play marker of the night, poking home a rebound with just over three minutes to play to seal the victory.

As the crew in front of him limited Washington to just six shots in the third, Andersen shut the door the rest of the way to keep the Caps off the board and complete his shutout showing.

Stats & Standouts

• Frederik Andersen recorded his fourth career playoff shutout on Saturday, becoming the 10th goaltender in NHL history to record a perfect playoff performance with three different franchises (ANA, TOR, CAR).
• Andersen's first postseason shutout in a Canes sweater helped him move to 5-2 in the playoffs, and the Dane leads the NHL in both save percentage (.940) and GAA (1.32). He's the first Canes netminder to record a shutout in the playoffs since Antti Raanta shut the door in Game 2 of the 2022 second round.
• Andrei Svechnikov scored Carolina's first goal on Saturday, collecting his 43rd career playoff point to tie Eric Staal for the second-most in franchise history. Svechnikov leads all Hurricanes skaters with six goals this postseason.
• Logan Stankoven collected an assist and became the ninth rookie in franchise history to record five points in a single playoff year. The Hurricanes/Whalers record for first-year players is nine points, held by Erik Cole and Warren Foegele.
• Jackson Blake scored to join Stankoven as the second Carolina rookie with multiple goals this postseason. The only other time the Hurricanes had multiple rookies with two or more goals in one playoff year was 2019 (Andrei Svechnikov & Warren Foegele).
• Jack Roslovic bagged a goal and an assist for his fourth career multi-point playoff performance. The 28-year-old has tallied once and logged two helpers through five games during Carolina's current postseason run.
• Brent Burns collected an assist on Roslovic's goal and notched his 78th career playoff point, tying Washington's John Carlson for the fifth-most playoff points by an active defenseman.
• Dmitry Orlov laced up for his 100th career playoff game on Saturday, appearing in his 19th postseason outing in Carolina after logging his first 81 with the Capitals. The 33-year-old skated 21:06 - third-most among Canes defensemen in Game 3 - and recorded one shot and two hits.
• Striking twice with the man advantage on Saturday, the Hurricanes now lead all clubs with nine power-play goals during the 2025 playoffs. It's the third time in franchise history the Canes have scored nine or more PPGs in a single playoff year.
• The Hurricanes moved to 4-0 at Lenovo Center this postseason and have now won 30 home playoff games since 2019, going 30-13 over the last seven years. No other NHL team has more than 27 such victories in that span.
• Carolina has now won its first four or more home games of a postseason for the fourth time in franchise history, following 2022 (7 GP), 2019 (5 GP and 2002 (4 GP).

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour on Frederik Andersen standing tall through Washington's early push...

“That was the key to our win tonight. That first period, where clearly, they were on their game and we were a little on our heels. That’s what [good] goaltending does. He kept us in the game. I thought we got to (our game) a little bit in the second half of the game, but it could have been a lot different if we were chasing. That might have been one of the better games he’s played for us with the magnitude of the game, what it means and how he impacted it with how he played.”

Frederik Andersen on what he saw from his vantage point...

“That was textbook Hurricanes hockey. Long shifts in their end, making it tough to break out. It’s up to the next line to do the same. It’s tough to change that momentum when you’re the defending team. It was huge to take the lead and to build on that.”

Frederik Andersen on staying sharp as his teammates limited Washington's opportunities...

“(My teammates) were great. It doesn’t really matter what’s happened in the game before. You’re just trying to be ready for the next save. I can say that every time. It’s cliche, but I just try to be in the moment and make the save, and continue to keep the lead and let them do their thing. You don’t get to choose when you get a shot against as a goalie, you just have to try to be ready for it.”

Jack Roslovic on what makes the Hurricanes' lineup depth so dangerous...

“From the day that I got here, I realized the buy-in. It sounds cliche, but the camaraderie and the way we’re cut and the way we all buy into one system is something we’ve found to be our crutch.”

Andrei Svechnikov on the team's mentality...

“Just keep going, you know? We’re supporting each other on the bench, we try to say ‘let’s go, let’s go’ so we can keep the momentum and keep pushing.”

Eric Robinson on how the team took control in the final 40 minutes...

“Hats off to Freddie. He kept us at zero-zero when we didn’t necessarily have our stuff, and then Svechy got us going, which was huge. Then, I thought the third period was our best period. We just kept putting it on them and playing our game.”

What's Next?

• The Canes are not scheduled to practice on Sunday, and will return to action in Game 4 at Lenovo Center on Monday.
• Next Game: Monday, May 12 | Round 2, Game 4 vs. Washington | 7:00 p.m. ET | Tickets | Parking