Frederik Andersen allowed five goals on 23 shots in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, a sharp drop from his .950 save percentage in the first two rounds. Despite the 2‑3 loss to Vegas, coach Rod Brind’Amour insisted he remains confident in the veteran netminder. Brind’Amour noted the team’s low shot volume skews the save‑percentage metric and the loss underscores the pressure on his play.

Andersen posted a .867 save percentage and a 2.33 goals‑against average across the six games since the Eastern Conference finals, including five against Montreal and the opening loss to the Knights. Analytics site Evolving Hockey recorded negative goals‑saved‑above‑expected in four of those outings. Brind’Amour said the brief two‑round sweep earlier in the playoffs helped preserve Andersen’s stamina as fatigue becomes a factor later in the series.

Vegas starter Carter Hart also struggled, yielding four goals on 29 shots, while coach John Tortorella praised his timely saves. Neither club plans roster changes before Game 2 in Raleigh, and with Game 1 victors winning the championship 75.6% of the time, the Hurricanes’ decision to stick with Andersen could prove decisive. The matchup will test both goaltenders' resilience as the series shifts to Raleigh.