Hurricanes G Antti Raanta remains in net for Game 2 vs. Islanders

Game 2, update — Raanta remains in net for the Hurricanes in Game 2 of the first round vs. the Islanders on Wednesday night. He made 25 saves on 26 shots in a 2-1 win over New York in Game 1 on Monday.

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta will start in Game 1 of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs vs. the New York Islanders on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET. Raanta gets the nod from head coach Rod Brind’Amour over Frederik Andersen, who was the No. 1 goalie for most of the season. The Hurricanes enter the postseason after winning the Metropolitan Division title. Carolina is favored -205 on the series line on DraftKings Sportsbook.

When you look at how each goalies season went in 2022-23, it isn’t all that surprising to see Raanta starting over Freddy. Raanta finished the season 19-3-3 with a 2.23 GAA and .910 SV%. Andersen has dealt with injuries and struggles at times when not seeing many shots. The Hurricanes generally tilt the ice, so Raanta shouldn’t see as much work as Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin.

Brind’Amour may also trust Raanta more considering how he played in last year’s postseason for Carolina. Raanta went 6-5 with a 2.26 GAA and .922 SV% despite playing through injuries. The Hurricanes would go the distance in back-to-back series, defeating the Bruins but falling to the Rangers in Game 7 of the second round.