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Many in Hurricanes organization frustrated over Andersen not returning to crease

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Colton Pankiw
May 31, 2022  (10:14 PM)
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After being eliminated by the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the second round on Monday night, plenty of the discussion afterward was that Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen was unable to suit up in the entire postseason.

It was extremely unfortunate that Andersen, 32, was unable to go after putting together the best regular season of his career. A lower-body injury was what forced him out, but according to Sara Civian of The Athletic, some within the organization believe it was something he should have been able to play through.

«There's a sense that some in the Canes organization wish Andersen would have pushed through and played, while others sympathized with the complexity of a goaltender injury on such a big body,» Civian wrote. «There is a difference between what a goalie is expected to play through and what a skater is expected to play through, and the realities of playing through injuries as a goaltender are complicated by the type of injury and how much it impacts confidence in the body.

«Regardless, the Canes need to make sure Andersen is in a position to succeed next season and that they've exhausted every resource in understanding what happened and how to help. They also need to come to terms with the fact that Andersen might not play through an injury. If they don't feel confident in him as their No.1 at that point, they need to cut their losses and move on.»

Given how well informed Civian is on what goes on within the Hurricanes organization, it is very likely that what she is writing is 100 per cent accurate. While no one would ever come out and say it, it is clear that some within the organization believe Andersen didn't show the battle level that many do at this time of the year. Given how well of a regular season he had one would imagine he returns as the Canes' number one netminder, but it will be a situation worth keeping an eye on.

With the Hurricanes now eliminated, the Rangers will move on to face the Tampa Bay Lighting. Game 1 is set to take place on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Despite having home ice, however, Betway, the official betting partner of the NHL, has the Lightning favored heavily at -150 compared to the Rangers at +162.

Source: The Athletic