RALEIGH, N.C. -- Brandon Bussi is the likely starting goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, although coach Rod Brind'Amour declined to officially announce his decision.
Bussi inhabited the starter's crease at the Hurricanes' morning skate and was the first goalie off the ice on Thursday -- both indications he could start for a second straight game.
Bussi replaced Frederik Andersen in the third period of Game 3, making his first appearance since April 14 and stopping 18 of 19 shots in the Hurricanes' double-overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
A 27-year-old rookie, Bussi was the surprise starter in Game 4, as Andersen was a healthy scratch after starting the previous 16 playoff games for Carolina. Pyotr Kochetkov was the backup to Bussi, who made 18 saves in Carolina's 5-3 victory that evened the series at 2-2.
Kochetkov was the other goalie in the Canes' morning skate Thursday.
Andersen hasn't skated in a full team practice since being pulled. Brind'Amour said Andersen skated before the team's morning skate Thursday in Raleigh and wasn't ruled out for Game 5.
"Everybody's available. He skated this morning, early," Brind'Amour said. "As far as the lineup goes, that's all I'm going to talk about. Everybody's available."
Bussi, a native of Sound Beach, New York, was Carolina's primary starter for most of the regular season, going 31-6-2 in 39 games with a .895 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average.
"He's just confident in his ability to be a good goalie," Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook said. "Obviously, the confidence he gained throughout the regular season, knowing that he can win and win often, it definitely helps. I don't want to compare him and Freddie, but they both have that calm confidence about both of them, which is something that you admire in a goalie."
Andersen's numbers have sharply declined in the last two rounds of the playoffs after dominating Ottawa and Philadelphia in consecutive series sweeps. He has an .815 save percentage and a 4.44 goals-against average against the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final, giving up 12 goals on 65 shots.
Brind'Amour said the decision to not dress Andersen for Game 4 was to give his 36-year-old starter a reset after goalie coach Paul Schonfelder said he could use some rest.
"If you're going to give him a break, you need to give him a break," Brind'Amour said. "So to me, him dressing and going through all that is just not really giving him a night off."
Brind'Amour wouldn't say if Andersen would back up Bussi if he starts in Game 5.