Carolina Hurricanes rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi made NHL history on Thursday night, backstopping his side to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Washington Capitals. With the win, Bussi became the first goaltender in league history to win 10 of his first 11 career starts.
In a clash of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams, Bussi made 23 saves through 65 minutes and then stopped all three shots in the shootout. Seth Jarvis scored the only shootout goal, but it was Logan Stankoven’s late regulation tally that forced the extra session. Stankoven netted the tying goal with 2:15 left after a rebound bounced to him in the left circle, evening the score at 2-2 following Nic Dowd’s third-period go-ahead goal for Washington.
Bussi has been incredible to watch this season. Since Carolina claimed him off waivers on October 5, 2025, the 27-year-old has gone 10-1-0 in 11 starts, including an eight-game winning streak, tying Frederik Andersen for the second-longest by a Hurricanes goaltender in franchise history, just behind Cam Ward’s nine-game run in 2009. He boasts a 2.07 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Ranking 12th in the NHL with 8.29 5-on-5 goals saved above expected, Bussi’s performance stands out even as Carolina averages 4.09 goals per game.
“It's awesome. Pretty crazy. I saw the nine [wins] out of 10 stuff, and I'm like ‘ah, that's pretty cool.' But I didn't really know we were chasing anything today,” Bussi said after the win. “It can't be done without the team, obviously. We're playing really good hockey, and I'm a small part of it, but it's pretty cool.”
It’s been an unconventional climb for the rookie to reach this stage. Undrafted out of junior hockey, he played for multiple NAHL and USHL teams before three seasons at Western Michigan University. Bussi signed with the Boston Bruins in 2022 and spent time in the AHL and ECHL before joining the Florida Panthers as a free agent in July 2025. The Hurricanes claimed him on waivers before he could appear in a game for Florida.
Carolina dominated Thursday's contest early, outshooting the Capitals 13-4 after the first period and 29-9 after 40 minutes. Connor McMichael gave Washington an early lead, and Dowd made it 2-1 in the third. The Hurricanes' persistence paid off as Stankoven and Ehlers each scored, forcing overtime. A short fight also broke out in the period between Jordan Martinook and DowdIn. In the shootout, Bussi stopped Anthony Beauvillier, Dylan Strome, and Sonny Milano, clinching the win.
The win brought Carolina to 19-9-2, tying the Capitals for the top spot in both the East and Metro Division. The Hurricanes will look to keep their momentum going in a Saturday-Sunday home-and-home series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
