Overview
- Carolina defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 on Tuesday to even the Stanley Cup Final at 2-2 and reclaim home-ice for Game 5.
- Coach Rod Brind'Amour kept his decision secret, made Frederik Andersen a healthy scratch and had Pyotr Kochetkov dress as backup while starting Brandon Bussi.
- Bussi made his first playoff start and stopped 18 of 21 shots, building on an earlier relief stint in Game 3 when he made 18 straight saves before a fluke double-overtime goal.
- Andersen had been the playoff starter through the first three rounds with elite numbers but saw his save rate and goals-against rise in the Final, prompting questions about rest and workload.
- The series has been unusually high scoring and swingy, so goaltending, special teams and defensive execution are now decisive factors to watch as Carolina hosts Game 5.