Why Brandon Bussi was Hurricanes' Game 4 starting goalie, could be for Game 5

The answer to the most guarded secret in the NHL was given when Brandon Bussi skated onto the ice for warmups in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

In a surprise, Frederik Andersen didn't dress as Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said the team's goalie coach said Andersen needed a break.

Bussi played well enough in the series-tying 5-3 victory on Tuesday, June 9, that he could get the call again when the series resumes Thursday night in Raleigh, North Carolina.

He stopped 18 of 21 shots and now has stopped 36 of 40 since Brind'Amour inserted him at the start of the third period of Game 3. Andersen, who had started every game, had given up four goals in the second period in Saturday's game.

Bussi had to stop a Mitch Marner penalty shot in Game 3 and that save gave the Hurricanes a chance to rally, though they eventually fell 5-4 in double overtime.

Brind'Amour didn't reveal his starter either after Monday's practice or in Tuesday's pregame news conference. There was no morning skate on Tuesday.

Bussi was tested quickly again in Game 4. He stopped a Mark Stone short-handed breakaway to preserve a 1-0 lead and the Hurricanes made it 2-0 shortly after.

Stone scored in the first period and Vegas tied the game 3-3 in the second period. But Bussi stopped nine shots in the third period to make Jordan Staal's go-ahead goal stand up.

"He was really solid all night," Brind'Amour said.

The start was Bussi's first since mid-April and his first career start in the playoffs. Did he think he played well enough to get the call in Game 5?

"Talk to Rod," he told ABC.

How Brandon Bussi fared in third period

The Golden Knights kept him scrambling but couldn't get a puck past him. He stopped 18 of 21 shots in the game and gave himself a chance to get the call again in Game 5 on Thursday, June 11.

How Brandon Bussi fared in second period

The Golden Knights have outscored the Hurricanes in 9-1 in the second period and Brandon Bussi is part of that now. He gave up goals to William Karlsson and Brett Howden as Vegas tied the game. He wasn't quite set on the first goal. The second goal was a great play by Howden, who set up a screen by shooting through a defender's leg. Bussi has stopped nine of 12 shots, a big difference from his relief appearance in Game 3.

How Brandon Bussi fared in first period

He was tested early on a short-handed breakaway by Mark Stone, but came up big. Stone later scored on a breakaway as he faked a shot, stickhandled and tucked the puck past Bussi's outstretched pad. The Golden Knights' next goal didn't count because time expired. But all in all, a good period for Bussi, who made five saves and has a 3-1 lead.

Why isn't Frederik Andersen playing?

Brind'Amour said Brandon Bussi got the start because he played great when he entered Game 3. Why isn't Frederik Andersen dressed? "Let him rest," the coach told ABC.

Bussi catches with different hand than Andersen

Bussi catches right-handed while Andersen catches left.

"We don't care who's playing, what hand, what feet, we're just going to play," Golden Knights coach John Tortorella told reporters.