RALEIGH, N.C. — When Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour praises his goaltender — and that’s happened plenty over the last seven weeks, because his goaltender has been remarkable — one particular compliment rises above the rest.Whether Frederik Andersen is at his best, his worst or occupying the space between, Brind’Amour says, he looks the same. It might sound like backhanded praise, but it’s not intended as such. Andersen’s positional superpower, regardless of the situation, is that strain of stability. His coach says as much, and his teammates do, too. A goaltender needs a poker face, and Andersen’s is Doyle Brunson-caliber.So, as Andersen saved 23 of the 24 shots he faced in Carolina’s 6-1 clincher over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final, he largely hit the same notes as he did in Game 4, and Game 3, and the rest of Carolina’s 12-1 run to the Stanley Cup Final, where they’ll face the Vegas Golden Knights in a series that begins Tuesday.Montreal, outmatched against a suffocating, battle-scarred opponent, didn’t threaten Andersen much while the outcome was still in doubt, but he was up to the task from puck drop to final buzzer. Andersen’s play was efficient, stable and — based on his 2026 postseason — standard. When they’re at their best, the Hurricanes are closer to an assembly line than a hockey team, capable of bending opponents until they break. In five games, they outshot Montreal 167-89, a disparity that was equally staggering and unsurprising.And when Andersen is at his best, he looks like Carolina’s ideal goaltender, someone capable of going minutes, stretches and periods between prime chances, then rising to the occasion, offering quality over quantity and stopping what one of his teammates called “$10 chances.” It’s what the Hurricanes need. It’s what they expect. This spring, it’s what Andersen has given them, and on Friday, this time amid personal tragedy, he delivered yet again.