NHL Player News

Bussi stopped 18 of 19 shots in relief of Frederik Andersen in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Bussi's work allowed the Hurricanes to erase a four-goal deficit in the third period. That would up being all for naught -- a Shea Theodore shot off the back boards bounced around and evaded Bussi at 5:38 of the second overtime for the deciding goal. Still, it was a positive showing for a goalie who hadn't played since April 14 versus the Islanders. Andersen has been the Hurricanes' starter throughout the playoffs, but he's struggled against Vegas, so there's a possibility head coach Rod Brind'Amour turns to Bussi in Tuesday's Game 4.

Andersen stopped 12 of 16 shots over two periods in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Andersen gave up all four goals in the last half of the second period. Brandon Bussi took over in goal to begin the third, and he allowed just one goal on 19 shots, which came in the second overtime. Andersen's magic from earlier in the postseason might be running out -- he's allowed 12 goals on 65 shots over three games versus Vegas. Overall, he has gone 13-2 with a 1.89 GAA and a .910 save percentage over 16 playoff outings. Given the trend of his performance, it's no guarantee Andersen gets the nod for Game 4 on Tuesday.

McNabb produced two assists and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime win over the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

McNabb wore a full face shield and had visible stitches on his nose, the result of taking a slap shot to the face in Game 2 on Thursday. The 35-year-old defenseman still skated 35:47 in this marathon contest, and he chipped in primary assists on the second goal of Mitch Marner's hat trick as well as Shea Theodore's winner 5:38 into the second overtime. McNabb mostly functions as a shutdown defenseman, but he's earned six helpers over his last four games. Overall, he's at nine points, 19 shots on net, 34 hits, 33 blocked shots, 19 PIM and a plus-13 rating over 18 playoff contests. He'll likely be able to continue playing as long as he can manage the pain from his injured face, and he'll be counted on for top-four minutes.

Hertl scored a power-play goal on two shots, added an assist and logged five hits in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime win over the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Hertl broke the scoreless deadlock at 10:26 of the second period. He also set up the third goal of Mitch Marner's hat trick later in the frame. While Hertl ended up with a team-low 15:20 of ice time, he was able to be productive again. He has four points over three contests against the Hurricanes and is up to five goals, eight assists, 31 shots on net, 39 hits and a plus-1 rating over 19 playoff outings. He continues to work in a third-line role as well as on the top power-play unit.

Theodore scored the game-winning goal, dished an assist, fired three shots on net, blocked three shots, added two PIM and went plus-3 in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime win over the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The tally was his second overtime goal of this postseason, coming 5:38 into the second extra session. Theodore's offense has erupted in this round with five points over three games against the Hurricanes. The defenseman is up to six goals, 10 assists, 37 shots on net, 52 blocked shots, eight PIM and a plus-14 rating over 19 playoff appearances. Theodore continues to see ample ice time on the top pairing.

Marner posted a natural hat trick, one assist, 10 shots on goal, three hits and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime win over the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Marner's natty hatty is the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Finals history, as he scored three times in a span of 6:10 to beat a 69-year-old record by Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Marner's four points in the second period also made him the first player to log that many points in a single frame in Stanley Cup Finals history. It's safe to say Marner has changed his playoff reputation this spring. He has seven points over three games in this series and a total of 10 goals, 18 helpers, 53 shots on net, 15 hits and a plus-16 rating over 19 playoff outings.

Hart stopped 29 of 33 shots in Saturday's 5-4 double-overtime win over the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Golden Knights looked to be cruising after two periods with a 4-0 lead. Hart then allowed the three fastest goals in Stanley Cup Finals history as the Hurricanes racked those tallies up in a mere 39 seconds. A late power-play goal by Andrei Svechnikov forced overtime, but Hart settled in and Vegas got the last laugh with a lucky bounce in the second extra session. This series has been lacking in defense late in the games, and Hart has now allowed 12 goals on 88 shots despite picking up two wins in three contests. Overall, he's at a 14-5 record with a 2.44 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 19 playoff games. He's likely to get the nod again in Tuesday's Game 4.

Carrier (upper body) won't return to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals versus the Golden Knights on Saturday.

Carrier was battling the injury throughout the game. He went to the locker room a second time during the second period and would not return for the third. The Hurricanes may be taking a cautious approach -- Carrier was officially ruled out for the game when Carolina trailed 4-0. His status for Game 4 on Tuesday is uncertain.

McNabb (face) is expected to be in the lineup for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals versus the Hurricanes on Saturday, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

McNabb was able to fly home with his teammates Friday after taking a slap shot to the face in Game 2 on Thursday. He is wearing a full cage on his helmet, so it's clear he's not 100 percent. McNabb will nonetheless try to tough it out, so he can be expected to fill a top-four role in Game 3.

Hart is expected to start at home against Carolina in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com.

Hart saw his seven-game winning streak come to an end when he stopped 22 of 26 shots en route to a 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina on Thursday. Hart has a 13-5 record, 2.41 GAA and .915 save percentage in 18 playoff outings this year. While he's had a strong postseason run, he's allowed four goals in each of the first two games of the finals.