Recap: Kochetkov, Canes Shut Down Rangers In New York

NEW YORK - Led by a 25-save shutout from Pyotr Kochetkov in his season debut, the Carolina Hurricanes stayed perfect against Metropolitan Division opponents with a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

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A desperate Rangers team seeking its first home win of the season came out firing at Madison Square Garden, heavily outshooting the Canes in the early going. But a sharp-starting Kochetkov held the hosts at bay, and the opportunistic visitors pounced on their first power play, as Nikolaj Ehlers ripped home a laser from the left circle for his first goal as a Hurricane at 13:30.

If the first 20 minutes favored the Rangers (despite the scoreline), the final 40 were all Carolina. Another tally from Sean Walker, who found twine with a long-range wrister at 17:07 of the second stanza, provided some welcome insurance, but it was the Hurricanes' smothering style that stole the show.

Limiting New York to just a single shot in the third period - a dump-in from center that happened to find the crease - Carolina controlled the contest through the latter stages until Seth Jarvis' empty-netter finished the fight.

Stats & Standouts

• Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov's shutout was the 11th of his career, tying Kevin Weekes and Sean Burke for the fourth-most in franchise history.
• Kochetkov's performance marks the fourth time in franchise history that a goaltender has recorded a shutout in his first start of a season, joining Petr Mrazek (2020-21) and Sean Burke (1995-96, 1996-97).
• Forward Nikolaj Ehlers scored his first goal of the season and led all skaters with six shots on net.
• Defenseman Sean Walker factored in on two Carolina goals on Tuesday (1G, 1A), recording his second multi-point performance with the Canes and the 11th of his career.
• Forward Jordan Staal skated in his 909th game as a Hurricane, tying his brother, Eric, for the most in team history (since relocation). Among franchise leaders, only Ron Francis (1,186) and Glen Wesley (913) have played more games.

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour on Kochetkov's perfect game, including his 15-save first period...

"That was the difference. Right off the bat, first period, he had a lot of testy ones. It allowed us to just settle in. After that, I thought we played great. I don't know how many shots we gave up, maybe nine the rest of the game, and one in the third - that's really good. But the game goes totally different if they capitalize."

Pyotr Kochetkov following his stellar showing...

"I played two days ago in the AHL, but the NHL is a little bit different... Guys really helped me today. Usually, I was able to see the puck, and if I had a rebound, guys worked at it (to clear it). It's always a team game... I just tried to do my best... It's my job."

Nikolaj Ehlers after his first Hurricanes goal...

"I've been waiting for that one for quite a while now. It definitely feels nice to get it today."

Rod Brind'Amour discussing the result..

"We needed that win for our group. I think we've been playing fine, but we hadn't really had a lot of results lately. So that was a big one."

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes are scheduled to practice on Wednesday in Raleigh. They'll return to game action on Thursday at Lenovo Center when they host the Minnesota Wild.
• Next Game: Thursday, Nov. 6 vs. Minnesota | 7:00 p.m. ET | Women In Sports Celebration | Tickets | Parking