Rachel Barkley
As the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators face each other Saturday to kick off the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they will do so after having battled through a very similar adversity in the regular season.
Both teams took a chance on a long shot to fill a role, and both teams succeeded in their goal to finish the season strong to claim a spot in the postseason.
Hurricanes Suffered a Major Goaltender Loss Before Season Even Began
In Carolina, the season nearly fell flat before it even began.
As the Hurricanes prepared their roster for the season, they faced an issue in net as their third goalie, Cayden Primeau, had played a little too well during the preseason. As they placed him on waivers to be reassigned to their AHL-affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, they had a gut feeling he would be claimed. And so, they began a hunt for another goalie to serve as a safety measure should that happen. (Yes, it did happen. The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed him, though the Hurricanes reunited with Primeau when they later placed him on waivers.)
Enter Brandon Bussi, the Florida Panthers’ latest depth goalie signing after several strong seasons with the Providence Bruins. Never having cracked above the AHL-level in his career, he was placed on waivers and on the drive to Charlotte, N.C., to join their affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, when he received the call that he had been claimed by the Hurricanes.
Taking a turn in more ways than one, he found himself on the opening night roster due to an injury preventing Pyotr Kochetkov from playing. He took the crease, then again, and again, going onto a run that made NHL history as he broke record after record. In 39 games played, he won 31 – tying fourth leaguewide for most wins by a goalie this season.
His consistency in net through the first half of the season was crucial in giving the Hurricanes a massive boost in the standings despite Kochetkov’s prolonged absence, as surgery was required, and Frederik Andersen’s cold streak.
Senators Lost Top Goalie, Rolled the Dice on Aging Veteran Netminder
Meanwhile, the Senators faced a similar dilemma as Carolina, though later in the season, during an equally crucial time.
In late December, Linus Ullmark – who has been a vocal advocate for mental health in hockey – took a leave of absence due to mental issues he had been battling through. The Senators then hit a skid as the position was given to 23-year-old goaltender Leevi Merilainen, with the 25-year-old Mads Sogaard backing him up.
In the midst of an 8-2 blowout loss at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, the Senators announced that then 37-year-old James Reimer, ironically a former Hurricanes goalie, had been signed to a professional tryout contract.
Arguably, his signing saved their season.
Reimer brought a calm, experienced veteran presence to a young goalie team that had been shaken up, stopping the bleeding and earning the team a valuable Atlantic Division point in his first game – and further earning points in three of the five games played while Ullmark was out. He held a goals against average of 2.42 throughout his 14 games, earned a shutout, and helped the Senators achieve 16 points during his time in the crease.
As the two teams face each other in round one of the playoffs, with only one team being able to advance to the next round, it cannot be understated what the Hurricanes and Senators managed to achieve despite the hurdles set before them. Out of 32 teams in the league, only 16 can clinch a spot in the postseason. To be able to come so far while dealing with significant absences in something as decisive as goaltending is something to be appreciated, no matter which team you root for.
