Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen sends blunt taunt to Peter Laviolette, Rangers after shutout win

The Carolina Hurricanes walked into one of the NHL‘s most iconic venues, Madison Square Garden, and handed the home-team New York Rangers a crushing 4-0 defeat. After the win, netminder Frederik Andersen delivered a fiery statement, rubbing salt in the wounds of Peter Laviolette and the struggling Rangers.

New York was shutout for the third time this season. Once again, the Broadway Blueshirts were defeated in the most humilliating fashion as the Hurricanes ragdolled them on their home-ice.

Head coach Peter Laviolette couldn’t hide his frustration after the game, following the heartwrenching defeat at the hands of divisional rivals. New York was eager to turn the page after their loss against the Colorado Avalanche, when they squandered the game-winning goal in the dying seconds of the game. However, the Rangers only managed to add insult to injury in front of a sold-out home crowd.

To make matters worse, Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen put the final nail in the coffin for New York with a blunt remark after the game. His statement, though simple, sent a stern message to the Rangers’ locker room and is sure to raise concerns for Laviolette.

Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on during the second period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2025 in New York City.

“We didn’t let them get a sniff on coming back in this game,” Andersen said after the game, per NHL.com. The goaltender finished the night with a perfect save percentage on 22 shots faced.

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In a do-or-die third period, the Rangers registered only three shots on goal, showcasing the anemic effort from the team in such a crucial stage against a divisional opponent. While Andersen’s statement feels cold-blooded, it’s not far from the truth.

Laviolette’s message to the team

Chaos has been brewing in the Big Apple all season long, though it quiets down when the Blueshirts string wins together. But with every defeat, the pressure within the organization continues to mount, ready to erupt.

Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers looks on against the New York Islanders during the first period during the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series.

A major concern for the Rangers is the number of goals they allow both at the start and end of periods. This issue was highlighted by Colorado’s late winner on Sunday, and Carolina took advantage of it as well.

“You start a game and you go down 1-0. You know it’s a big game,” Laviolette stated. “You know it’s against one of the division leaders. That’s a tough one.”

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Lackluster starts and finishes

All four Hurricanes goals were scored either within the first three minutes of a period or in the final seconds. Laviolette acknowledged the issue, though it’s unclear what can actually be done to fix it.

“The part that [was] really discouraging, for me, is the start of the third period pushed the game and took the energy from us and we never responded well after that,” Laviolette confessed postgame, via The New York Post.