"Pyotr the Great": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 31: Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

After getting the job done against the Blue Jackets on Sunday, the Hurricanes tried to make it two in a row by beating the New York Islanders on Tuesday. The Islanders got the better of the Canes on Long Island ten days ago, using a four-goal second period. With the Islanders getting some of their injured players back into the lineup, the Canes faced an even tougher task. With Pyotr Kochetkov back in the net, they sought to replicate Sunday's performance against another division foe.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (5:47)- Andrei Svecbnikov (12) PP (Sebastian Aho (24) & Shayne Gostisbehere (20))

CAR (8:21)- Jordan Martinook (8) (Jordan Staal (9))

2nd Period

CAR (11:13)- Tyson Jost (2) (Shayne Gostisbehere (21) & Jack Roslovic (5))

CAR (19:44)- Sebastian Aho (9) (Eric Robinson (10) & Jaccob Slavin (8))

3rd Period

None

My Thoughts

There is so much that could've gone wrong tonight. Between this being a nationally televised game and the Islanders getting Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat back into the lineup, I had my usual doubts with the ESPN+ crew in town. Outside of some egregious mispronunciations of Pyotr Kochetkov's name and Andrei Svechnikov becoming "Andrei Shmechnikov" for most of the night, this was as fun a victory as the Hurricanes have had this season. Sure, it helped that it was a shutout victory against a division opponent. I wouldn't classify this as a clinical masterpiece, given how many chances the Islanders had and the long stretch the Canes went without a shot in the first period, but it was as good of a win that we've seen this season.

This victory doesn't come together without the incredible performance of the Canes' netminder. Kochetkov played his best game of the season, stopping all 32 shots he faced. The only game that comes close is his 35-save performance against Pittsburgh in early November. He withstood stretches of pressure from the Islanders throughout the night, coming up with big stops in big moments. By the time the Canes had put the game out of reach, all that was left was to preserve the shutout. He didn't have any "Save of the Year" candidates, and he scared us a little when he came out to play the puck by diving to keep it away from the Islanders after Shayne Gostisbehere fell. Otherwise, it was a clean night for Kochetkov.

I don't want to give the impression that this was an easy victory for the Hurricanes. It was quite the opposite. As the broadcast said a thousand times ad nauseum, the Islanders had their chances to score. The difference was the Canes capitalized on their chances while Kochetkov stoned the Islanders at every turn. New York held Carolina without a shot for the second half of the first period and outshot them for a good portion of the contest. Anders Lee had six shots. Barzal and Horvat had four each. The Islanders' big guys did their best to be impactful, even if it didn't show on the scoreboard.

At the end of the night, the Hurricanes finished their four-game homestand 3-1-0. The start of their stay looked suspect, needing a late comeback against San Jose before being shut out by the Senators last Friday night. Instead of letting that shutout loss snowball into something worse, the Hurricanes responded with two solid victories against teams they should beat. They've started to find their touch at 5-on-5, thanks to the work of the Staal line. That trio was phenomenal again tonight, getting the Canes' second goal with hard work from the captain and Jordan Martinook. If this is the version of the Hurricanes that we can expect on a nightly basis, the rest of the league better take notice.

When We Meet Again- It'll be a little over a month before these two lock horns again. The Canes will travel to Long Island at the end of January for the third meeting before the Islanders return to Raleigh in late March. 

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Pyotr Kochetkov

The best player on the ice for either side tonight was in the net for the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov was masterful, securing his first shutout of the season and the ninth of his career. He made the tough stops look easy. showing how locked in he was. I wonder if seeing Dustin Tokarski's performance on Sunday made him raise his game a little. 

The Road Ahead- The Hurricanes have to play three games on the road against highly skilled teams before getting to enjoy Christmas. It begins on Friday night in Washington D.C. as they're hosted by the Washington Capitals, who blew a 2-0 lead in the third period tonight to the Chicago Blackhawks. On Sunday afternoon, they'll be at MSG to face the struggling Rangers. Monday night, they conclude the trip in Smashville, facing another underperforming squad, the Nashville Predators.