Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen leads Canes to win in first game since November

Frederik Andersen, at long last, was back Thursday and ready to play again.

The Carolina Hurricanes goalie, sidelined since Nov. 2 with a blood-clotting issue, returned against the Montreal Canadiens at PNC Arena, stopping 24 shots in a 4-1 victory.

Defenseman Brady Skjei scored a pair of goals, and forwards Stefan Noesen and Andrei Svechnikov each scored for the Canes (37-19-6), playing for the first time since a bad loss Saturday against Winnipeg.

Skjei scored in the first period on a nifty forehand-to-backhand shot, then made it a 3-1 Canes lead in the third on a 4-on-4 breakaway. Noesen’s goal, on the rebound of a Jack Drury shot, came with 25 seconds left in the second and Svechnikov’s was a late empty-netter.

One player not on the ice Thursday for the Hurricanes was forward Michael Bunting. The Canes said Bunting was held out of the game for “trade-related reasons.”

Speculation throughout the day Thursday was that the Canes might be trying to make a major deal, possibly for forward Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins. ESPN hockey reporter Emily Kaplan reported that a Guentzel trade could be completed Thursday night.

The Canes earlier in the day activated Andersen off NHL injured reserve. The veteran has practiced with the team the past few weeks while Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin handled the goaltending.

In another personnel move Thursday, the Canes activated goalie Antti Raanta off injured reserve and then placed him on NHL waivers. Also put on waivers were defenseman Tony DeAngelo and forward Brendan Lemieux as the Hurricanes looked to create more flexibility leading up to Friday’s trade deadline.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour in recent days has said he has been waiting for Andersen to give him the “green light” indicating he was ready to go.

“We’ve been waiting for him to say, ‘Hey, get me in a game’ and today’s the game,” Brind’Amour said Thursday.

Andersen stopped a Joel Armia shot two minutes into the game — his first save since November. He then allowed a Habs goal on the second shot, Joshua Roy’s shot appearing to glance off a skate in front of Andersen.

Roy got another shot past Andersen in the third period, but the Canadiens were called for goaltender interference — no goal. A few minutes later, Andersen gloved a shot by Josh Anderson, then stopped Brendan Gallagher.

Habs goalie Sam Montembeault also was making some big saves, stopping Seth Jarvis on a shorthanded breakaway in the third.

Andersen had a 4-1-0 record and had appeared in six games this season, with a 2.87 goals-against average and .894 save percentage, before his health issue — he called it “scary” — was detected and diagnosed. He was out for 49 games.

Kochetkov, named the NHL rookie of the month for February, has played in 32 games and Raanta 24. Martin was claimed off waivers Jan. 19 from the Columbus Blue Jackets and has given the Canes a boost, posting a 4-0-1 record, 1.97 GAA and 922 save percentage.

Raanta has missed the past 11 games with a lower-body injury.