Raanta to serve as Canes’ backup goalie in Rangers game as Kochetkov starts
The Carolina Hurricanes’ goaltending situation isn’t as serious as first feared.
Goaltender Antti Raanta was at the team’s morning skate Tuesday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he would be the backup to starting goalie Pyotr Kochetkov against the Rangers on Tuesday night.
Raanta left Sunday’s road game against the New York Islanders with an undisclosed lower-body injury. With goalie Frederik Andersen sidelined since April 16, also with a lower-body injury, the Canes were in the position of potentially being without both veterans near the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
But Raanta was on the ice Tuesday, which Brind’Amour said was “good to see.”
“There’s obviously nothing serious there, which is obviously huge,” Brind’Amour said. “I don’t know that’s he’s 100 percent. I think he’s still a little nicked up. He can play if we needed him to.”
The Canes (52-20-8) can clinch the Metropolitan Division title over the Rangers with a victory. Andersen was the winning goalie two weeks ago when the Canes beat the Rangers 4-2 at the Garden.
Brind’Amour had no further update on Andersen, who he said remained in Raleigh to recover while the team was on its three-game road trip. He said he should know more Wednesday.
Kochetkov, recalled from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis, made his NHL debut Saturday as the Canes edged the New Jersey Devils in overtime, and won again Sunday after relieving Raanta. He faced 27 shots in the two games as the Canes were effective in limiting the Devils’ and Islanders’ offensive chances.
“He’s going to be a great goalie, you can already tell,” Canes defenseman Brendan Smith said Tuesday.
Kochetkov speaks very little English, but Smith said he “picks it up quick” and that the language barrier is not a detriment on the ice in the communication between goalie and D-men.
“He understands way more than he talks,” Smith said. “He’ll understand what we say.”
This story was originally published April 26, 2022 at 1:02 PM.
