Frederik Andersen marks return to Hurricanes with win

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Frederik Andersen made 24 saves after a four-month absence and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Thursday night.

Brady Skjei scored two goals and Stefan Noesen and Andrei Svechnikov added one each in Carolina's first game since squandering a three-goal, third-period lead against Winnipeg on Saturday.

But the story of the night was the return of Andersen.

"It was very exciting to be out there with the guys again and feel the energy of the crowd," Andersen said. "Be happy about being back and take it a day at a time."

Andersen, who improved to 5-1 this season, was in his first action since Nov. 2 because he missed time with a blood-clotting issue. He had been doing on-ice work for about a month in preparation to return to games.

Andersen, who played in only his seventh game this season, was inactive for 50 games. He came onto the ice to cheers of "Fred-die! Fred-die!"

"I know he had a lot of doubts about just ever even lacing them up again," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "Whether we won or lost, just getting back out there doing something that obviously he loves to do."

By the time Andersen stopped all 11 second-period shots, he had settled in.

"He made countless good ones when we needed it," Brind'Amour said.

Skjei helped clinch the outcome with his second goal of the night and 10th of the season with 4:29 remaining. It came with the teams skating 4-on-4. It was his first two-goal game this season and the third of his career.

Montreal's Joshua Roy scored the game's first goal. His blast from near the blue line appeared to deflect off a Carolina stick on just Montreal's second shot on goal. It was his third of the season and second in as many games.

Skjei made an individual move from the left side for a tying goal at 13:02 of the opening period.

Noesen put the Hurricanes ahead with 25 seconds left in the second period with his 14th goal this season. Svechnikov scored into an empty net.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.