Hurricanes' Andersen shining in return from blood clot issue

To the surprise of no one on the Carolina Hurricanes, netminder Frederik Andersen looks like he's in midseason form despite missing four months with a blood clot issue.

"I'm not surprised, but I didn't know what to expect," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said following Carolina's 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. "I know he's a great goalie. When you've been out that long, I don't care what position you play, there's gotta be some rust, but it certainly doesn't look like there's any of that."

Andersen has been a revelation since his return, going 6-0-0 with a sparkling .951 save percentage and one shutout. He hasn't allowed more than two goals against in a contest.

Andersen was particularly sharp Sunday, stopping 32 of 33 shots versus his former team.

"It's Freddy. I've seen him do this stuff over and over. The whole team, obviously, trusts him a lot," the Hurricanes' leading scorer, Sebastian Aho, said.

"You never know. You're almost a little nervous for him. After that long of an injury, you hope to see him have a good start, and he obviously has. Ever since he's been back, he's looked very calm. As always, actually. It's huge for us. He's one of the best goalies in the world."

Andersen was starting to play well before he was sidelined, too. He owns a .925 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average in 12 games this season and has looked much like the goalie who finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting in 2022 with the Hurricanes and in 2018 with the Maple Leafs.

However, the 34-year-old is just grateful to be back on the ice.

"It's been fun. You appreciate being back doing what you love," Andersen said. "It feels good."

Goaltending was a question mark for the Hurricanes for most of the season, but with Andersen coming back and rookie Pyotr Kochetkov continuing his strong second half, Carolina boasts a stellar 1-2 punch between the pipes entering the postseason.