The Carolina Hurricanes ended their five-game road swing the right way Saturday night, rolling past the St. Louis Blues 4-0 and banking the full two points after Thursday’s shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers. They wrapped up the trip at 3-1-1, collecting seven of a possible 10 points before heading back to Raleigh.
Pyotr Kochetkov was the story at one end. He turned aside all 24 shots he saw for his 12th career shutout, and he’s now 7-0-0 to start the 2026-27 season.
That shutout also moved him into fourth place on the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers all-time list, with only Cam Ward (27), Arturs Irbe (20), and Mike Liut (13) ahead of him. He passed Sean Burke and Kevin Weekes in the process.
Afterward, Kochetkov said, “A win always feel good. We just want to go home [because] it’s been a long trip.
I’m very happy for the guys. We won today and tomorrow is a day off.
It feels amazing.” The long road trip clearly had his attention, but so did the result, with the team taking points in four of its five games away from home.
Rod Brind’Amour liked what he saw from his goalie against the club that drafted him ninth overall in 1988. “I thought the goaltending was great tonight.
On display. That’s how you do it… He had a couple of big saves when you need it because the game can change so quickly… He was obviously the first star tonight, for me.”
Through seven starts, Kochetkov sits tied for first in wins with seven, tied for third in shutouts with one, fifth in goals-against average at 1.70, and tied for 10th in save percentage at .916%. Before the season, Hurricanes goalie coach Paul Schonfelder said he believed Kochetkov could reach an elite level, and this is looking more and more real by the night.
The offense did its part, too, and Jackson Blake hit a major personal milestone. His assist on Sean Walker’s goal gave him his 100th NHL point, and he reached that mark in 175 games, making him the fastest Hurricanes player to get there since Martin Necas, who did it in 158 games in January 2022. Blake now has two goals and 11 assists this season.
He’s also been one of Carolina’s most reliable all-around pieces. Blake is tied for the team lead in assists with 11 and sits second on the club with 13 points. Night after night, he’s been noticeable in both zones - helping shut people down, making plays in the offensive end, getting to the net, throwing his weight around, and bringing the kind of 200-foot game Brind’Amour wants.
Sebastian Aho added two assists of his own and is up to 18 points through 13 games, while his 11 assists match Blake for the team lead. Seth Jarvis also had two assists, giving him three points in his first two games back from injured reserve. Walker scored his first goal of the season and finished with a plus-2 rating, three shots, and three blocks.
Carolina’s latest win pushed it to 9-2-2 through 13 games in the 2026-27 season. The club now gets two days off before returning to the Lenovo Center on Tuesday night to face the Boston Bruins. With injuries, a flu going around the room, and a three-game point streak already in the rearview, the break comes at a good time.
In Other News...
Seth Jarvis Just Reminded Hurricanes Fans What They Were Missing
Seth Jarvis was back in the Carolina lineup against the Oilers, and the timing mattered as much as the performance. After spending the summer recovering from shoulder surgery, the forward returned for his first game since June and looked like a player eager to reassert himself in a group that has leaned on his energy, pace and knack for creating offense.
Jarvis did not waste much time making an impression, scoring on his return while also chipping in physically and generating chances. He said afterward that he still has work to do defensively, which is a fair note in a game that showed both the upside of having him back and the next step he needs to take as he settles in again. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Fans Just Got Another Way To Watch This Season
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Canes Answered A Brutal Loss With A Statement Fans Needed
The Hurricanes walked into St. Louis looking for a response after a brutal loss, and they got one in emphatic fashion, blanking the Blues 4-0 at Enterprise Center. Carolina spread the offense around, with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each collecting two points while Sean Walker, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Logan Stankoven and Nikolaj Ehlers all found the net. It was the kind of complete road win that resets the mood in a hurry, especially for a team that has spent the early part of the season trying to keep its standard intact.
Pyotr Kochetkov gave Carolina exactly what it needed behind that effort, turning aside 24 shots and making sure the Blues never found a way back into the game. The result also pushed the Hurricanes to 20 points faster than ever in franchise history, a useful benchmark for a team that has been trying to establish traction early. If the goal was to answer the previous setback with something more convincing than a bounce-back win, this was about as clean a statement as they could make. [Read more 🡒]