After 287 days away from NHL action, Pyotr Kochetkov could have needed time to find his rhythm in the 2026-27 season. Instead, he’s spent the opening stretch doing the opposite: answering every question with another win.
Kochetkov has opened the year 9-0-0, setting a franchise record with nine straight victories to start a season. In that span, he has allowed two goals or fewer in all but one game, and his work in net has been a major reason Carolina has gotten rolling early.
The numbers are eye-catching, but Kochetkov hasn’t spent much time entertaining them. After matching the previous team record of eight straight wins, he made it clear where his attention sits.
"If you don't tell me (about the record) after every game, I don't think much (about it)," he said when speaking to the media after tying the team's previous season-opening winning streak record of eight. "We have 84 games this season.
This is just up and down. Season is long.
I don't think much (about it). If you don't tell me after another game, I don't focus on this...
I just more worry about the quality of my game."
That mindset has matched the way his teammates and coaches have talked about him. Jordan Martinook called the run “impressive” after Thursday’s game, pointing to the stretches where Kochetkov can completely take over.
"That's impressive," praised Jordan Martinook of his goaltender's historic outing on Thursday. "Obviously, we've seen it throughout the years, how good he can be and how he can get in that zone and be an incredible goalie. He's showing it right now."
Seth Jarvis said the goalie has been turning difficult stops into routine-looking saves.
"He's been incredible. He's making a lot of hard saves look pretty easy," echoed Seth Jarvis. "That's a good sign of high confidence and someone who's playing really well, and he's been a massive reason why we've had success."
The start Kochetkov is putting together looks even more striking when measured against what came before it. His 2025-26 season was essentially wiped out after he began injured, made only eight starts, and then had surgery that kept him out until the postseason. This year has given him a clean slate, and the Canes’ 2019 second-round pick has taken full advantage.
Frederik Andersen’s departure in free agency also changed the landscape in Carolina. For the first time in his career, Kochetkov entered a season as the more experienced goalie on the roster in terms of games played.
That didn’t remove the pressure, though. It only sharpened the expectation that he would make the most of the opportunity.
Before the season, goaltending coach Paul Schonfelder said, "With PK, I do feel he has the ability to be an elite goalie in this league. I see the talent," said Goaltending Coach Paul Schonfelder before the season. "But with that being said, it is his third or fourth full year here, and now it’s time to take the bull by the horns.”
So far, that message has landed. Through the early part of his fifth NHL season, Kochetkov has posted a 9-0-0 record, a .919 save percentage and a 1.66 goals-against average. The flashes have been there before; this stretch has made them harder to ignore.
"Excuse my language, but it was a s--- last year for him. We wanted to and were hoping for him to bounce back and feel good, and he's done that," said Nikolaj Ehlers after Kochetkov's 21-save effort in Winnipeg on Oct. 17.
Rod Brind'Amour said the talent has always been obvious, and the main question has been whether Kochetkov could stay healthy long enough to show it consistently.
"We've seen that he's capable of something like this. The talent is certainly there.
You've noticed it for many years," said Rod Brind'Amour. "Just the health has always seemed to be the issue, and hopefully he can stay healthy...
I think his game is maturing."
The next start could bring another piece of history. No Hurricanes goalie has ever won 10 straight starts in a single season. Kochetkov is one win away from changing that, though he’s not spending much time on the milestone.
For Carolina, the larger point is simpler. With the team’s defensive structure behind him, it doesn’t need Kochetkov to be spectacular every night. It just needs him to keep doing what Sebastian Aho described: giving the club a chance.
"That's what you want to ask from your goalie, right?" said the Canes' alternate captain.
"Give a chance to win the game, and he's definitely given that every time he's dressed up. He's given us a chance."
In Other News...
Hurricanes Can Finish A Sweep As Carolinas Hottest Scorer Keeps Rolling
The Hurricanes are wrapping up a three-game homestand against the Winnipeg Jets with plenty of momentum, having won three straight and 11 of their last 13 as they head into November. Carolina has been one of the leagues steadier teams through the opening stretch, while Winnipeg arrives in a rough spot after an eight-game losing streak, making this a chance for the home side to keep building on a strong early-season run.
Carolina is still working around some injury absences, with Taylor Hall out and expected to remain unavailable for a bit longer. Winnipeg is dealing with its own issues, with Josh Morrissey and Vladislav Namestnikov sidelined, which only adds to the challenge for a Jets team trying to stop the slide and for a Hurricanes group that has been getting timely scoring from all over the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Hit A Defining Week As Early Slide Starts To Feel Serious
Winnipegs early-season stumble has been made harder by the kind of injuries that can quietly reshape a roster before it ever finds its footing. The Jets are 4-7-3, and the absences have touched both ends of the lineup, with key names missing from the blue line and forward group as they try to stop the slide from turning into something more lasting.
The road trip ahead offers little room to ease into a reset, especially with Carolina waiting as part of the schedule. Winnipeg is still trying to recover its defensive structure and transition game without one of its top blueliners, while the loss of depth up front has narrowed the options even further. For a club already looking for traction, this trip may say a lot about how long the early-season problems can be managed before they start to define the year. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Just Sent A Message With Their Most Complete Win Yet
The Hurricanes were in control from the opening puck drop and never gave Winnipeg a chance to settle in, rolling to a 7-0 win that looked every bit like their most complete performance of the season. Logan Stankoven led the way with three points, and Carolina piled on in the second period to turn the night into a runaway long before the final horn.
Sean Walker was right in the middle of the offensive surge, and the defenseman kept popping up in dangerous spots as the margin kept growing. The Jets had already been forced to turn to another goalie early in the second period, and Carolina kept pressing from there, leaving the bigger question not about the result but about how quickly this version of the Hurricanes can carry over when the competition stiffens. [Read more 🡒]