Kochetkov wins seventh straight start, Hurricanes shut out Blues

ST. LOUIS – Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 saves and won his seventh straight start to open the season for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-0 win against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Saturday.

Kochetkov is one win shy of tying Frederik Andersen in 2021-22 for the Hurricanes record for most consecutive wins to begin a season. It was his first shutout of the season.

“We just saw an effort all the way around,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “When we had a couple breakdowns, ‘Koots’ was great. We had the one penalty there and he made a couple saves and he was great behind the net with the puck touches. … The goaltending was on display of how you do it, tied the momentum, get it going in our direction, a couple big saves when you need it because the game can change so quickly and it goes the other way. He’s obviously the first star of the night for me.”

Sean Walker and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored goals 20 seconds apart early in the second period, and Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho each had two assists for the Hurricanes (9-2-2), who ended a season-long five-game road trip 3-1-1.

“I’m going to say this about our group, there’s not too many nights where you don’t get that (effort),” Brind’Amour said. “We have a pretty honest group and pretty professional no matter what the circumstances. We expect that, so it’s good on these guys to finish a long trip on the right note and really play well every game. I’m pretty happy with the way the guys are doing their jobs.”

Joel Hofer made 35 saves for the Blues (5-5-1), who had won two straight to open a five-game homestand.

“Very humbling. Also, (a) tutorial by the Stanley Cup champions about how to play to who you are no matter the score,” St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said. “They were as committed in the third period up 3-0, up 4-0 as they were at the start of the game.

“It’s an opportunity for us … it’s hard work, but that hard work becomes who you are when you do it every day and in practice and it translates. That’s what we’re trying to grow and grow into. Unfortunately, we expected early in the year with a lot of new faces, and I don’t want to say young team because I don’t even know where we are in the scope of ages in the League. … It’s humbling when you see it happen to everyone in our lineup. They stick-check pucks, they go through arms, they’re above us, so that’s an elite team in the League, if not the elite team in the League, and that’s what we’ve got to work towards every day, and we’ll get there.”

Walker made it 1-0 at 4:45 of the second period on a delayed penalty when he fired in a one-timer from the slot off a pass from Jason Blake, who was tripped initially by Blues defenseman Cam Fowler that drew the penalty.

Kotkaniemi made it 2-0 at 5:05 after the Hurricanes came out with the puck in the left corner and he and Jordan Martinook worked a give-and-go to the slot for the quick finish inside the right post.

“Besides my turnover there that led to their breakaway, I think we started pretty well (in the second),” Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers said. “When we play the right way and get skating and get pucks out, get pucks in, I know it’s all the cliches but when we do that the right way and play for each other, we’re a really good team and we create a lot of zone time that way. I think we did that really well.”

Logan Stankoven’s fourth goal in three games made it 3-0 at 13:35, a breakaway sprung by Jarvis from the defensive zone and ensuing snap shot to the short side past Hofer.

“We came out of that (penalty kill) right after that and we get a goal,” Brind’Amour said. “What a great play by ‘Jars’ up to ‘Stanks.’ That was kind of the, I don’t want to say back-breaker, but that could have swung the game (if the Blues scored on the power play instead) for a couple minutes there.”

Ehlers made it 4-0 with a power-play goal at 4:30 of the third period after a loose puck from the slot was picked up by Aho, who fed Ehlers in the left circle with an empty side of the net to score.

“That third period, the way we played that -- yes we still gave up some chances, but we like that third period a lot better than the last one against Edmonton (a 6-5 shootout loss Thursday),” Ehlers said. “We did a lot of things right. They play a tight game, they don’t give you a lot, but we found ways to get the goals and ‘Koochy’ shut it down.”

The Blues had good opportunities at the start of the game with high-danger scoring chances from Dylan Holloway and  Jimmy Snuggerud, and a breakaway early in the second by Connor McMichael that Kochetkov made saves on.

“Right off the bat, I’m pretty sure we had a few good chances and even throughout the second, I think we had a breakaway, we had some good chances ourselves,” St. Louis defenseman Colton Parayko said. “That’s just a part of it. We definitely had our chances, but just kind of got to build and learn, make sure that we continue to push forward.”