It’s not often the Canaics aren’t cheering for the team in red and white, but the Carolina Hurricanes honored their history by taking to the ice Saturday adorned in their Hartford green and blue. Canes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov wrote new history by stopping everything that came his way as he skated away with a 34-save shutout.
“Well he couldn’t be much better,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “He was sharp, countless saves and at big times. He was the difference for sure.”
Right before a three-game road trip next week, the Hurricanes (30-16-5) got two points in the Metropolitan standings as they try to separate themselves from the Devils (25-21-4) and the rest of the east fighting for a wildcard spot.
From start to finish, Kochetkov stole the show as he repeatedly flashed the leather. Even off of deflections and tips out in front, Kochetkov seemed to always know where the puck was. His 34 saves were the most he’s had in a shutout performance of his young career.
Every hockey player knows that disrupting a goalie’s rhythm and focus can mess them up, but even after getting pulled from the previous game, having to come back in and starting this game, the Russian looked dialed in.
Once again, defenseman Brett Pesce was absent from the lineup due to illness, giving defenseman Tony DeAngelo a chance to step up. Although missing a top-four defenseman, the Canes got back right wing Andrei Svechnikov who had missed the previous six games with an upper-body injury. Svechnikov’s presence was surely felt as he racked up a team-leading four hits.
In his second game back from injury, Devils center Jack Hughes proved a nightmare all night but especially in the first period. No matter what line Brind’Amour had him matched up with, Hughes was causing problems, totaling seven shots on goal throughout the game.
It would be hard to find a team that has been better than the Hurricanes on special teams since December. Although their two power play opportunities didn’t net a goal, their penalty kill was flawless.
For a team that has averaged 3.44 goals per home game this season, the Canes haven’t been shutout in regulation since March of last season. Not only was PNC Arena anxious to see who would score the next goal but Kochetkov, who had played perfectly, couldn’t wait either.
“It’s 0-0, I say f— boys, please score,” Kochetkov said. “I [want to] go home.”
Whether the team wasn’t used to passing to each other in green, the Cooperalls weighing down the legs in warmups or a choppy ice surface, Carolina struggled to connect passes together.
Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, Kochetkov got his wish when 3:40 into the overtime period, center Sebastian Aho batted the puck out of mid-air and into the net for the game’s lone goal.
In a highly physical matchup where each team accumulated 25 or more hits, the Hurricanes came out on top as they battled against a team they have some history with. It’s not easy to stick with your game when you can’t find the net, but that’s what Carolina did and they were rewarded.
“Tonight they played hard,” Aho said. “We played harder.”
The Canes’ next game comes versus the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, Feb. 13th at 8 p.m. as they travel out west for a short road trip.
