Canes' Andersen plays with heavy heart after Lemieux's death

RALEIGH, N.C. -- While the Carolina Hurricanes celebrated their Eastern Conference championship win over theMontreal Canadienson Friday night, goaltenderFrederik Andersen's heart was heavy.

Andersen was one of the first prominent clients for Claude Lemieux, who became a successful agent after his 21-season NHL career, in which he won four Stanley Cups. Lemieux died by suicide Thursday, according to authorities. He was 60.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said that deputies responded just after 3 a.m. to the scene of an apparent suicide at a furniture store showroom in Lake Park, Florida. The sheriff's office said the victim was found in a rear warehouse by one of his sons.

"It's been a difficult couple of days. But the way we showed up today for each other is incredible. I can't talk about enough good things about this team and the way they supported me," Andersen said in a postgame interview on TNT, following Carolina's 6-1 victory in Game 5 over Montrealto the series 4-1.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said he wasn't sure whether Andersen would be available for Game 5 after the shocking news of Lemieux's death.

"You just don't know how that was going to shake out. But obviously, he shook it off and battled through it," Brind'Amour said. "You saw the emotion after the game. That's a tough time for him, but he made us all proud, that's for sure."

Andersen made 23 saves, including some key second-period stops to ensure that the Hurricanes didn't squander a 4-0 advantage they built in the first 27:19 of the game.

Lemieux died a few days after carrying the ceremonial pregame torch at Montreal's Bell Centre before Game 3. He played for the Canadiens for seven seasons and won the Stanley Cup with them in 1986.

According to the North State Journal, Lemieux reached out to Andersen before Game 3 to let him know he had been asked to carry the torch.

"He's like family," Andersen said after Game 3.

Captain Jordan Staal said the Hurricanes took pride in supporting their goaltender through his grief.

"Freddie was unbelievable. We were playing for him as best we could. It's a tough couple of days here for him, and we're just a family here, and we all felt that hurt," Staal said. "We tried to share as best we could and play well in front of him as best we could. But I thought he played unbelievable."

It has been a remarkable playoff run for Andersen. He has gone 12-1 with an NHL-best .931 save percentage and 1.41 goals-against average. This is the first time in his 13-year career that Andersen will compete for the Stanley Cup. Andersen was asked after the game what Lemieux's message to him might have been ahead of the Stanley Cup Final.

"Just go get it," he said. "He's the ultimate competitor. He's got the biggest heart. He wanted this so much for me and for the team."br/]