Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen leads Canes to win in first game since November

It was Game 62 of the Carolina Hurricanes’ season, but to Frederik Andersen it almost felt like a season opener.

And if not that, certainly a restart for the veteran goaltender, who has spent much of the season sidelined by a blood-clotting issue that Andersen called “scary,” and had some wondering when — or if — he would return.

But Andersen was back in net Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, making 24 stops in a 4-1 win, being named the game’s first star, hearing Canes fans loudly chanting “Fred-die, Fred-die” during his postgame interview at the bench.

“It was real exciting to be out there with the guys and feel the energy of the crowd,” Andersen said. “We have great fans here, so obviously we’re used to those chants and it was awesome to see.”

Andersen had not played since Nov. 2, missing the past 49 games. But his return Thursday, after practicing with the team for a few weeks, was mixed with some other major news percolating around the team throughout the day before the NHL trade deadline.

Forward Michael Bunting was a late scratch and held out of the game, the Canes said, for “trade-related reasons.” It was being reported by several media outlets, including ESPN, that the Canes were trying to complete a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins that would bring forward Jake Guentzel to Carolina.

Defenseman Brady Skjei, who scored twice Thursday, has known the Guentzel family for years and almost sounded as if the trade was a fait accompli.

“I grew up playing with Jake in Minnesota in the summers,” Skjei said after the game. “His dad (Mike) was my college hockey coach at Minnesota, the defensive coach. Jake’s an unbelievable guy and he’s going to fit in well here and all the guys are going to love him.”

Told the trade had not yet been completed, Skjei smiled and backtracked a little, saying, “Oh, I’m not sure.”

Andersen allowed the Habs goal on Montreal’s second shot of the game, Joshua Roy scoring his third of the season. There was some rust, Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

But Andersen soon was making some timely stops — a glove save here, a pad save there — while the Canes (37-19-6) slowly built a lead against goalie Sam Montembeault.

“In the first, I felt like I was wasting energy, like over-moving and not being as efficient as I usually am,” Andersen said. “Obviously that gets you a little tired. I knew I was going to be a little rusty, but at the first intermission I got to settle in.”

Of the long time off, Andersen said, “We tried to treat it as an offseason, and we knew it was going to be a few months, and just try to be as ready as possible.”

Forwards Stefan Noesen and Andrei Svechnikov each scored for the Canes, who were playing for the first time since a bad loss Saturday against Winnipeg.

“We were a little sluggish to start after five days off,” Brind’Amour said. “You could tell it was going to take a little time for us to get our legs.”

Skjei scored his first goal in the first period on a nifty forehand-to-backhand shot, then made it a 3-1 Canes lead in the third on a 4-on-4 breakaway off a Brett Pesce pass. Noesen’s goal, on the rebound of a Jack Drury shot, came with 25 seconds left in the second and Svechnikov’s was a late empty-netter.

The Canes earlier in the day activated Andersen off NHL injured reserve. In another personnel move Thursday, the Canes also activated goalie Antti Raanta off injured reserve and then placed him on NHL waivers.

Also put on waivers were defenseman Tony DeAngelo and forward Brendan Lemieux as the Hurricanes looked to create more flexibility leading up to Friday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. With Bunting held out, Lemieux was in the lineup

Andersen had a 4-1-0 record and had appeared in six games this season, with a 2.87 goals-against average and .894 save percentage, before his health issue was detected and diagnosed.

Pyotr Kochetkov, named the NHL rookie of the month for February, has played in 32 games this season and Raanta 24. Raanta has missed the past 11 games with a lower-body injury.