The ‘huge asset’ that has helped Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes have success

The Carolina Hurricanes have been dominant in the playoffs. They have swept two straight series on the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Part of the reason for the success had been the play of Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen.

Now, one of the big reasons for the success of Andersen and the Canes is being explained, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.

The secret to some of his successes is how he plays the puck, which he adopted after watching the play of former Dallas Stars netminder Marty Turco.

“It was like three minutes of him just playing the puck,” Andersen said. “He was out everywhere playing it. He was in the corner, up by the hash marks. He was just absolutely touching the puck more than any of the ‘D.’ That was impressive.”

His puck handling has been a huge part of the success of the team, as they are able to use the speed of the team to move quickly in transition. It is also something former NHL goaltender and current ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes noticed.

“His ability to play the puck is a huge asset, especially for a team like Carolina that has speed,” ESPN analyst and former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes said. “He helps them exit out of their D-zone quicker, and then they can attack faster. They force you to play at a pace and a tempo that is uncomfortable and it’s a lot easier to do that when you’re getting out of your D-zone faster, and he certainly helps with that.”

The dumping of the puck into the offensive zone does not work as well against the Hurricanes because of Andersen. Further, other teams do not get a solid forecheck going because of his ability to move the puck. That is something Shayne Gostisbehere also noticed.

“When we play teams that have good puck-handling goaltenders, it’s tough for us to get our forecheck going, too,” Gostisbehere said. “Freddie is very underrated at it. The quicker we can get pucks out of our end and put in their end, the stress is on them. So, it just goes along with what we’re trying to do.”

Now, the team looks to continue its impressive play. The Hurricanes have been on a long layoff waiting for their next opponent. The team will find out their next opponent on Monday night, as the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres face off in Game 7.

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