Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov narrowly avoids massive 10-game suspension from the NHL

Carolina Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov nearly caught a ten-game suspension last night, but luckily one of his teammates was there to save him.

The Hurricanes are off to a relatively slow start this year through their first four games, going just 2-2. Many are expecting the team to be contenders for the Stanley Cup once again this year so this is a disappointing start for their fans. With that being said, it is certainly too early to panic. That being said though, the St. Louis Blues should be a very beatable team for Carolina, so last night's loss will sting a little bit more.

Despite the loss though, things could have been much worse for the team in the long run. A single loss is just one game on the schedule and thus, just a loss of two points. At the end of the game though, Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov nearly got himself a ten-game suspension by joining a scrum by jumping off the bench following the final whistle. Luckily, teammate and fellow Russian Dmitri Orlov was there to grab a hold of his jersey, preventing him from getting involved.

Kochetkov is expected to take on a bigger role with the team this year, replacing Antti Raanta, who went back to Europe to end his career this summer. Needless to say, the team will need him over the course of the next ten games. He's already gotten two starts this year, including the game last night, splitting them 1-1 with a total of 6 goals against on 45 shots. Certainly, Kochetkov will be a far more important player for the Hurricanes this year than guys like former 10th overall pick Jost, who was sent to the AHL after clearing waivers prior to the start of the regular season.

Kochetkov has 71 total game of NHL experience so far in his career. He has a career record of 39-21-9, with 8 shutouts. He also has a save percentage of .909 and a goals-against-average of 2.39. With any luck, he will be a great goaltender in Carolina for a very long time.

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