“Antti is an established goaltender who has put up strong numbers in his career,” Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said in a statement announcing the Finnish goalie’s contract. “We’re excited to add a veteran presence on the blue line.”
When Raanta signed his two-year $2 million AAV contract in 2021 he was seen as the 1B to Freddie Andersen. It’s not that Antti wasn’t a quality goalie. But Andersen was the big name and expected to carry the majority of the workload.
Before coming to Carolina Raanta spent four seasons with the Coyotes. Arizona never achieved a winning season with Raanta in the blue paint. His 41-37-9 record leaves much to be desired. But it’s also misleading. The Yotes didn’t lose games because of Rannta. They lost despite him. Antti’s .924 save percentage and 2.47 GAA put him near the top of the league.
Concerns from Hurricanes fans were minimal when the signing was announced. Local media questioned Antti’s health at his first press conference. “I think when I hurt my knee and got surgery, I think after that it just felt like nothing I was trying to do really worked how I wanted it to,” Raanta said. “Then I started to feel some pinches and things somewhere else other than the knee and when the knee was okay, something else came out. I’ve felt like it’s been a snowball rolling in the wrong direction for a little bit now.”
“Obviously when you’re a goalie you just want to stay healthy,” Raanta continued. “I mean, it doesn’t really matter if you’re a goalie or player, everyone wants to stay healthy. Nobody wants to be on the injured list. But you just try to forget that those things happened and get a fresh start and just go out and have fun again.”
Now near the end of his contract, Raanta has had his fair share of fun. Earlier this season he carved his way into Hurricanes history, not allowing a goal against for 163:54 of game action. The third longest stretch of its kind in franchise history. After his first season with the franchise, he was awarded the William M. Jennings Trophy along with Andersen for allowing the fewest goals against during the regular season.
Fifty-three games into his Hurricanes career Raanta holds a 24-7-7 record. In almost two seasons he’s only left the ice seven times without getting a point in the standings for his team. His 2.34 goals-against average ranks third in franchise history. If you zoom out to look at his career stats Antti ranks third among active NHL netminders with a 2.43 GAA.
This season Carolina has used a rare three-headed dragon to defend their net. Frederik Andersen leads the group with thirty-one games played. Pyotr Kochetkov has gotten the nod twenty-four times, and Antti Raanta has been between the pipes for twenty-five games. Andersen has dealt with lingering injuries, missing large portions of the season. Kochetkov has quickly become a fan favorite thanks to his distinct play style and over-the-top personality. While Raanta flew under the radar.
It’s difficult to say Raanta hasn’t been undervalued by Hurricanes fans and local media. As the season comes down to its final pages Raanta is on a nine-game home winning streak that includes three of his four shutouts this season.
Including the playoffs, Antti Raanta hasn't lost a home game in regulation since 04-14-2022. Since that game, Raanta is 18-0-1 with a save percentage of .928 and a 1.86 G.AA. pic.twitter.com/Q9yFQI2O8n — The Canes Stats Brand™ (@CanesStats) April 5, 2023
If you’re still not impressed I could also mention that Antti is 15-0-2 in his last seventeen starts. At this point, if you’re not impressed with Father Finn’s consistency, you’re the one with the problem. Not him.
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