After a difficult Western Canada road trip, the Carolina Hurricanes have been playing much better. Since their 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 12, the Hurricanes are 3-0-2 in their last five games and sit in the first wild-card spot with a 17-12-3 record for 37 points after 32 games this season.
What helped Carolina overcome their struggle in Western Canada was simplifying their games. They went 0-4-0 in that swing while being outscored 14-7. The team as a whole hung their goaltenders out to dry, but the goalies also had a tough time keeping the pucks out of the net. Finally, a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 9 led to a players-only meeting.
Then Antti Raanta was placed on waivers after giving up six goals in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators on Dec. 15 and was reassigned to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) the next day. Pyotr Kochetkov stepped up for the Hurricanes when they needed it most from their goaltenders.
All Hail Pyotr Kochetkov
This season, the 24-year-old Russian netminder has a 7-6-2 record with a 2.65 goals-against average (GAA) and a .895 save percentage (SV%) in 16 games. Kochetkov has been phenomenal in his last four starts, especially, with a 3-0-1 record and a .946 GAA.
30 games into the season, the Hurricanes were sporting the worst team SV% in the NHL with a sub-.860 figure. As of Dec. 21, they are still last, but their SV% has improved to .875 thanks to Kochetkov. While he did give up three goals in the Hurricanes’ 6-3 win versus the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Dec. 19, for the most part, Kochetkov stood tall against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. He allowed two of the three goals with under a minute left, but for the first 58 minutes or so, he could not be figured out. It was an impressive performance from the third-year netminder who has played fewer than 50 NHL games.
In his time with the Hurricanes, Kochetkov has a 22-13-7 record, 2.51 GAA, and a .904 SV% in 43 games. He’s now just five wins from tying his career-high set in the 2022-23 season, and he is on track to beat that sometime in early January.
Recent reports have suggested that Frederik Andersen could join the team in the next month. However, management might want to ease him back into the lineup as he has been recovering from a blood clotting issue since October. Andersen has a 4-0-1 record in six games this season, with a 2.87 GAA and a .894 SV%, but it’s hard to predict how he will play when he returns.
The Hurricanes also signed Aaron Dell to a professional tryout (PTO) on Dec. 19. This is likely a depth move for a team that is still thin at the goaltending position. Carolina only has three active goalies – Kochetkov, Raanta, and Yaniv Perets. However, if Kochetkov continues to play at his level, he might earn the role of the number-one goalie. There are a lot of moving parts in the Hurricanes’ crease right now.
Kochetkov Makes Case as Hurricanes’ Number One
While the Hurricanes did not plan for Kochetkov to be their starter this season, considering they re-signed Andersen and Raanta in the off-season, he has earned the role. Despite his slow start to the season, largely due to the inconsistent play in front of him, he was 4-6-0 before his last four starts but is now sitting at a 7-6-1 record going into Dec. 21’s game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Before the Golden Knights game, Kochetkov had given up one goal in each of the previous three games against the Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Washington Capitals (even though they lost in a shootout), with a .969 SV% versus the Senators, .962 vs the Red Wings, and a .962 vs the Capitals.
Related: Hurricanes’ Kochetkov Looking to Seize the Starting Role
The week of Dec. 11, Kochetkov had a .970 SV%, which is otherworldly. In the 6-3 win versus the Golden Knights, he had a .909 SV%, for a .946 over his last four games. That high level of play is exactly what the Hurricanes need right now after an up-and-down start to the season.
The Dell PTO situation along with the Perets call up from Norfolk might be a short-term solutions for Carolina until they can figure out the next course of action with their netminders.
It’s uncertain if the team will trade for another goalie to be in tandem with Kochetkov or wait it out until either Andersen or Raanta can find their form. Either way, the best course of action is to ride with Kochetkov as their number-one goalie moving forward to keep seeing what he can do.
Related: Hurricanes Have 3 Good Trade Targets to Fill Raanta Roster Spot
The Hurricanes’ special teams have been playing well, and now the goaltending has begun to turn the corner, which means the team should find their stride soon.
Kochetkov’s Time is Now
Kochetkov is on year one of his four-year, $8 million deal worth $2 million annually and becomes an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after the 2026-27 season. If he is to be the Hurricanes’ goalie of the future, now is the time for him to prove himself. He has earned this chance, and Carolina should run with him to finish December.
Once Andersen or Raanta is ready to return to the lineup, it makes sense to use them as a tandem as the 1B to Kochetkov’s 1A. Andersen and Raanta could also take on the role of mentor for the 24-year-old if he’s to be the guy for Carolina the rest of the season.
There is also chance for the Hurricanes to keep all three goalies on the team and rotate them like how the Red Wings have been doing. They’ve been rotating Alex Lyon, Ville Husso, and Jame Reimer throughout the season.
However, it seems that the Hurricanes are the Kochetkov era. Buckle in “Caniacs” — it’s Kochetkov time.
