Hurricanes beat Islanders on Max Domi winner, but lose goalie Antti Raanta to injury

Rookie goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov was recalled to the Carolina Hurricanes a week ago on an emergency basis.

“Emergency” took on a different meaning Sunday for the Canes.

Starting goalie Antti Raanta had to leave Sunday’s road game against the New York Islanders with a lower-body injury in the second period. With Frederik Andersen, the Canes’ Vezina Trophy candidate, also sidelined with a lower-body injury, the Canes had to turn — again — to Kochetkov.

Carolina would win the Metropolitan Division game 5-2, scoring three times in the third period. Kochetkov, who made his NHL debut Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, picked up his second NHL victory.

Max Domi’s goal at 5:40 of the third period pushed the Canes into a 3-2 lead, and Carolina added empty-net scores from Jesper Fast and Brendan Smith to inflate the final margin. With their 52nd win of the season, tying a franchise record set in 2005-06, the Hurricanes (52-20-8) will go into Tuesday’s game against the New York Rangers with a four-point lead over the Rangers in the Metro Division.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said after the game that he hoped the Raanta injury was not too serious. Andersen is due to be reevaluated early this week.

“What are you going to do, cry over it?” Brind’Amour said. “We’ve got to keep moving forward. Thankfully we brought (Kochetkov) over. Obviously it’s not what you draw up and not what you want to happen — injuries to anybody and especially the goalies.

“Hopefully neither of them will be too serious and we’ll get them back.”

That’s the hope. Kochetkov, a second-round draft pick by the Canes in 2019, was playing in the KHL in his native Russia until the KHL’s 2021-22 season ended. He then was assigned to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League and immediately was impressive, being named the league’s rookie of the month in March.

Andersen’s injury got him to the Canes. Raanta’s injury put him into a second straight game, under a tougher circumstance.

He entered the game with 7:03 left in the second, after quickly warming up. He soon allowed a power-play goal to Ryan Pullock that tied the score 2-2., but stopped all the rest.

“He’s unbelievable,” Domi said. “With the athletic ability and the confidence he has ... he’s cool as a cucumber.”

The Canes took a 2-0 lead in the first as Derek Stepan forced a turnover and scored, and rookie Seth Jarvis scored on a power play to extend his goal streak to three games.

The Canes dominated the third period. The Islanders managed just five shots as the Canes pressured New York goalie Semyon Varlamov with 15 shots.

“Everyone tightened up to help out a teammate,” Stepan said.

With center Vincent Trocheck given the day off, Domi began the game centering a line with Andrei Svechnikov and Jordan Martinook. Brind’Amour flipped Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen in the third and it was Teravainen whose centering pass from behind the net set up Domi for a quick strike and the goal.

It was an active game for Domi, a feisty type who doesn’t hold back. He came to Svechnikov’s defense in the first period, slashing defenseman Zdeno Chara. His in-your-face style of play appeared to irritate most of the guys in the Islanders lineup and there was still some pushing and jawing after the final horn.

Domi, obtained at the trade deadline from Columbus, has been used all over the lineup, at wing and center, and Brind’Amour said, “It’s taken us a little while to figure him out. I think he’s gotten better and better and more comfortable in how we play.”

But it should be difficult for anyone with the Canes to be very comfortable in the next few days with Andersen and Raanta out. The Stanley Cup playoffs begin May 2, but the Canes still have two games remaining, and Kochetkov might have to start both.

“It’s unfortunate with the injuries,” team captain Jordan Staal said. “But ‘Kuchie’ has come in and played well and we’re going to continue to fight for him and play well for him and we’ll keep moving on.”

This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 3:42 PM.

Chip Alexander

The News & Observer

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In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.