Carolina Hurricanes make short work of Penguins, extend multiple streaks in blowout win
The Carolina Hurricanes had a bunch of streaks on the line Thursday.
The Canes had won seven straight games, the longest active streak in the NHL.
Martin Necas had a seven-game point streak and Andrei Svechnikov a six-game streak, and goalie Pyotr Kochetkov had won four straight starts.
All of those streaks continued as the Hurricanes made it eight wins in a row by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-1, in a Metro Division game at Lenovo Center in which the Canes were outshot but not outscored.
Jack Roslovic scored twice and had an assist — the winger with the quick release now has nine goals this season — and Kochetkov picked up his seventh win after arguably his best outing of the season, finishing with 35 saves.
“He was the player of the game for me,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Kochetkov. “It’s about being consistent in that position, and he has been that. Obviously, tonight he was on it.”
Jordan Martinook scored in the first minute of the game and defenseman Jaccob Slavin scored his first of the season in the second. Eric Robinson had the final goal in the third as the Canes, who lead the Eastern Conference in winning percentage, improved to 10-2-0.
Robinson’s goal was assisted by Necas, who picked up a point as Robinson tipped in a pass as he breezed past the net — Necas did have a four-game goal streak end.
Defenseman Jalen Chatfield had three assists and his first career three-point game, and center Sebastian Aho had two assists as Aho’s line with Roslovic and Svechnikov led the way with six points.
Martinook and Roslovic both scored off the rush in the first period, Martinook lifting the puck past goalie Alex Nedeljkovic after a good feed from Jordan Staal. Fifty-two seconds in, the Hurricanes had the lead.
Aho and Roslovic teamed up on a give-and-go for a 2-0 lead, Roslovic taking the pass between the circles off the rush.
“The guys are finding him and he’s making the best of it,” Brind’Amour said of Roslovic, who had nine goals in 59 games last season with Columbus and the New York Rangers.
Svechnikov spotted Roslovic open in the left circle in the second period, and Roslovic didn’t miss. Later the period, Slavin zipped a shot through traffic from the left point for a 4-0 lead.
That left it up to Kochetkov, who had Canes fans often chanting “K-oooch” as he patrolled the crease, anticipating and moving well. The Pens had four power plays and 10 power-play shots, but Kochetkov and the Canes’ penalty killers got the job done.
“Obviously, he’s proven. He’s playing incredibly well, and nights like tonight, when we’re not all there, he’s doing his thing,” Martinook said.
The Pens’ Blake Lizotte ended Kochetkov’s shutout bid in the third after Kochetkov stopped a couple of shots. Lizotte came an inch or two from scoring in the second period.
The Pens’ loaded top line of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell combined for 13 shots, and defenseman Kris Letang had five, but all went pointless.
“We know how great they are as players,” Chatfield said. “But we have a system, we have a job to do and we have great players on this team.”
The Canes had four shots in the opening period, their fewest since a four-shot third period of the opening-night loss to Tampa Bay. The Canes killed off a double minor for high-sticking in the first, the four minutes of shorthanded work limiting their shooting opportunities.
Until assisting on the Slavin goal, Roslovic held the NHL lead in an interesting category: Most goals without an assist in the season.
The Penguins (5-8-2) outshot the Canes 36-18 and tested Kochetkov with tips redirections and some quality shots. Pittsburgh is now winless in its past seven games in Raleigh (0-4-3) and has not won at Lenovo Center since December 2018.
A four-game homestand over, the Hurricanes go back out on the road for three games starting Saturday at Colorado.
This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 9:36 PM.
