It is a widely acknowledged fact that Cam Ward is the gold standard for goaltending in Carolina Hurricanes history. During the regular season, Ward holds pretty much every team record imaginable. No one is remotely close to him in games, wins, shutouts, saves, shots faced, and much more. It'll likely be a long time before anyone sniffs the numbers he put up.
That's what happens when you're the team's starting goalie for 12 years. However, postseason hockey wasn't common during his tenure. He only appeared in two postseasons, but both runs went deep into the playoffs. In two years, Ward played 41 games, winning 23 of them, including a Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe in 2006.
Fast forward nearly two decades, and Ward has some company atop the wins leaderboard. Frederik Andersen has been to the playoffs a few more times than Ward, taking part in the last four runs for the Canes. On Saturday, as he was closing the series against the Senators, Andersen tied Ward by recording his 23rd win.
Andersen accomplished this feat in five fewer games than Ward, with Game 4 being his 36th appearance with the Canes. However, there's a major caveat that many will be quick to point out. Of Andersen's 23 wins, only one has come in the conference finals or later. Meanwhile, Ward won seven games combined in the Eastern Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final in 2006.
Injuries likely prevented Andersen from already breaking the record. His first season with the Canes in 2021-22 was cut short before the playoffs, preventing him from taking the net. The following season, Antti Raanta took the first five games against the Islanders, and Andersen closed the series in Game 6. Last year, he was knocked out of the opening round in Game 4, so he couldn't play Game 5.
Outside of a pending record-breaking win, Andersen is also the current holder of the lowest postseason GAA for any goalie in franchise history (2.03). The next closest is Arturs Irbe at 2.11. His .915 save percentage is the fourth best, and he's one shutout away from tying Ward for the most (4). Despite public perception, Andersen has usually been reliable for Carolina, to a point, in the playoffs.
With his becoming a free agent at the end of the season, and with Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov each signed for next season, the general sense is that Andersen is likely done in Raleigh once this run ends. I'd like to think he'll be remembered fondly for his time, however chaotic it could be at times. Hopefully, his next win won't be the last one this season.