Pyotr Kochetkov makes 24 saves as Carolina Hurricanes shut out St. Louis Blues 4-0 at Enterprise Center

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

ST. LOUIS—The Carolina Hurricanes opened the season with a decisive 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Saturday, powered by a shutout from goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. Kochetkov made 24 saves and extended his early-season run by winning his seventh straight start, according to the NHL’s game recap. It was his first shutout of the season.

Kochetkov’s streak positions him one win shy of tying Frederik Andersen’s Hurricanes franchise record for the most consecutive wins to begin a season, set in 2021-22. The performance also capped a strong overall start for Carolina, as the team improved to 9-2-2 in the early season stretch noted in the league recap.

Carolina struck early in the second period with two goals 20 seconds apart. Sean Walker scored at 4:45 after a delayed penalty, firing a one-timer from the slot off a pass from Jason Blake. The penalty sequence began when Blues defenseman Cam Fowler tripped Blake initially, creating the man-advantage situation that led to Walker’s opener.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi then doubled Carolina’s lead at 5:05. The Hurricanes came out of a puck battle in the left corner and executed a quick give-and-go between Kotkaniemi and Jordan Martinook that resulted in a finish to the right post for a 2-0 advantage.

The Hurricanes continued to build separation in the middle stages of the period. Logan Stankoven scored his fourth goal in three games at 13:35, converting a breakaway set up by Seth Jarvis from the defensive zone and finishing with a snap shot past Joel Hofer to make it 3-0.

St. Louis was held off the board despite goaltending from Hofer, who made 35 saves for the Blues. The league recap lists St. Louis at 5-5-1 at the time of the result, noting the team had won two straight to open a five-game homestand before the setback.

Carolina added the final goal in the third period on the power play. Nikolaj Ehlers scored at 4:30 after a loose puck at the slot was collected by Sebastian Aho, who fed Ehlers in the left circle with an open side of the net for the finish, extending the lead to 4-0.

The shutout also marked the end of a challenging stretch for the Hurricanes. Carolina’s win concluded a five-game road trip that the league recap describes as spanning the season’s longer travel segment, ending with a 3-1-1 record on that swing.

With the game complete, Carolina’s defensive effort and Kochetkov’s goaltending stand out as the key factors in the result. The final score reflected a controlled offensive burst in the second period, followed by insurance scoring in the third to secure the team’s season-opening shutout.

For the Blues, the loss snapped their momentum heading into the homestand and left them facing a need to regroup after conceding four unanswered goals. Hofer’s 35-save workload underscored how much of St. Louis’ evening was spent defending against Carolina’s transition and set-play scoring chances.