Carolina Hurricanes stifle Panthers behind red-hot Pyotr Kochetkov, stout penalty kill
Sebastian Aho had a hard time believing he missed the first time.
“An open net and I couldn’t get it in,” the Carolina Hurricanes center said Thursday, shaking his head.
But Aho didn’t miss the net in the final seconds against the Florida Panthers. His shot with 18.9 seconds remaining in regulation gave the Canes a 1-0 victory at a very loud, pulsating PNC Arena.
In a game that had the feel of the Stanley Cup playoffs and might be a preview of what’s to come this season, Canes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov had a career-high 44 saves to earn his seventh career shutout and second in a row on home ice.
Aho’s miss came on a centering pass from Jaccob Slavin, Aho alone in front but tipping the puck wide of the net with 3:45 left in regulation. It came just before the Panthers appeared to score the first goal of the game, Eetu Luostarinen tipping the puck past Kochetkov off the rush with 3:18 left in regulation.
But the Canes won a coach’s challenge when it was ruled Luostarinen was offside entering the zone — no goal.
“That was the worst feeling, them scoring on the next shift on the rush,” Aho said. “Obviously, lucky it was offside and that was a good challenge by us. We got another chance and I was able to put that one in. That was extra special.”
The Canes’ Jesper Fast pushed the puck out of the Carolina zone and ahead to Andrei Svechnikov driving the middle. Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola blocked Svechnikov’s shot, but Aho collected the puck near the right circle, turned and winged a shot that beat Sergei Bobrovsky to the glove side as the crowd erupted.
“It’s unreal,” Aho said. “You’ve got to love playing these games.”
The Canes (34-17-5) could not beat the Panthers or Bobrovsky in the Eastern Conference final last season. Florida won the first two games in Raleigh, including a four-overtime thriller won on a shot by Matthew Tkachuk from nearly the same spot on the ice as Aho’s on Thursday.
The Panthers then won Game 2 in OT, Tkachuk merrily ushering his teammates off the ice, and Florida went on to a four-game sweep.
The Canes did not have Svechnikov for the 2023 playoffs after the forward’s knee injury last March. But he had a physical impact Thursday, putting a big, clean hit on Tkachuk in the first period that ended Tkachuk’s night — the Panthers (37-16-4) also lost defenseman Gustav Forsling in the game.
Kochetkov said he grew up in his native Russia admiring Bobrovsky, the former Vezina Trophy winner.
“He’s an unbelievable goalie, an unbelievable man,” Kochetkov said. “Today was a little bit special day, a special game, yes, to be with him in the battle.”
Kochetkov’s 44 saves were the second-highest in franchise history in a shutout – Cam Ward had 47 in beating Boston 3-0 in February 2012 – and were the most by a rookie in a shutout.
“Unreal,” Aho said. “What else can you ask from a goalie? He gave us every chance to win this hockey game.”
The Canes’ penalty killers also gave them a chance. A high-sticking call against Jordan Staal resulted in a four-minute double minor four minutes into the third period, but Kochetkov stopped five shots and the killers did the rest.
“That was probably the difference in the game,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.
The game ended Thursday with a scrum near the Canes bench. Carolina’s Seth Jarvis and Brett Pesce were in the middle of it. So, too, Kochetkov, who skated into the fray.
“Obviously they beat us last year so there is a little history between the two teams,” Aho said.
The Panthers had won 11 consecutive road games this season, one shy of tying an NHL record, and Bobrovsky also had won his last seven games. Those streaks ended Thursday at PNC Arena.
“You’ve got to love to play these games,” Aho said again. “It was two good teams. Two great goalies. It was a little heated. The crowd was electric. It had all of it.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2024 at 9:45 PM.
