Hurricanes Send Kochetkov Back to AHL
By Glenn Brewer
Last night the Carolina Hurricanes suffered a shutout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning after surrendering 4 unanswered goals. It was evenly matched for most of the game thanks in part to the goaltender, Pyotr Kochetkov.
Kochetkov finished with 14 saves from 17 shots against and had some tough bounces resulting from a few defensive mishaps.
Today the Hurricanes returned Kochetkov back to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. In Chicago, the 23-year-old has played 20 games with a 2.39 GAA and has 13 victories.
Although he has just 25 career starts in the NHL, the development phase seems to be over for him. The Canes are a contending team with two healthy, veteran options in the net. Otherwise, the former second-round draft pick would remain with the club for the rest of the season.
Antti Raanta had been injured but appears to be ready to dress and play for the Canes.
Since being called up in March, Kochetkov played in 5 contests, winning 2 of those games against the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
This season in the NHL, Kochetkov has started 23 games with 12 wins and a 2.44 GAA. Additionally, he has 4 shutouts and a .909 save percentage.
The young Russian goalkeeper has a bright future ahead and has shown that this season by gaining the confidence of the coaching staff. It is comforting to know that if Frederik Andersen or Raanta go down to injury, Kochetkov will be ready to not just dress but play in the playoffs.