Amid all of the craziness of trades, injuries, and line jumbling, one large question mark remains—the Carolina Hurricanes goaltenders and the starter’s crease. With two premiere talents in Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen, it’s high time to discuss who should lead in net and why it is Kochetkov.
The Carolina Hurricanes Goaltender Woes are Nothing New
It is no secret that the Carolina Hurricanes have long struggled with a goaltender problem. In the past, glimmers of hope were seen with players such as Petr Mrazek or Alex Nedeljkovic. However, none were the fit the team needed. Since Cam Ward’s departure after the 2017-18 season, 15 netminders have guarded the crease for Carolina. In the 2021-22 season and postseason, two men who stood apart from the others entered the roster. One who was meant to be the goalie of the franchise before it slipped away, and another who was striving for that honour. One who helped carry the team to the playoffs, and one who came in clutch through the playoffs. Fast forward three seasons and these two are a tandem for the Hurricanes’ blue paint. Battling it out for the wins and battling it out for the starting position.
In the early games of the 2024-25 season, Frederik Andersen was out of the lineup due to a knee injury. Missed time due to injury or illness has been an unfortunate quandary for the 35-year-old Dane since entering Carolina’s roster. There through it all has been Pyotr Kochetkov, the unlikely Russian prospect turned likely future franchise goalie in his three years playing with the team, outlasting the shelf life of the Hurricanes’ goalie prospects before him. Those years saw much development and improvement in his game, but does that surpass Andersen’s experience and ability? Well, let’s dig in and see how this stacks up.
The Modern-Day Old-School
Something clear with Kochetkov is his distinct, unorthodox playing style. The style is often compared to Dominik Hašek due to his flexibility, flopping, and aggressiveness, especially when challenging approaching skaters. Despite the success of the instinctual play he employs, it hasn’t been infallible, leading to mistakes, injuries, and even penalties.
The Carolina Hurricanes VS New York Islanders game was wild!
Pyotr Kochetkov went out of his crease to challenge Anders Lee, leading to a collision and double penalties.
Earlier in the game, Kochetkov low-key got into a puck battle along the boards, too.#raiseup #isles #NHL pic.twitter.com/sECgUA6mgJ
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) December 8, 2024
However, in recent games, he has shown improvement in controlling not just the puck, but himself. Instead of the typical frenetic play most commonly seen from him, he has played a much quieter, calmer game—showing another layer to the onion that is his goaltending capabilities. Not only does taking care to play more conservatively with high-risk plays help prevent injury, but it also helps stave off burnout. “I’m very emotional,” Kochetkov said in an interview with the media in the early season. “But it’s a long season. I can’t be very aggressive every game and very emotional every game. My energy must be a little bit saved for a long season.”
The patient approach in net has been a good fit for the young goalie, seeing as his 10th through 20th games played this season (which featured a more excited play style) held a save percentage of .899%, whereas the latest games, his 21st through 31st games played this season, boast numbers of .908%. His ability to incorporate this calmer playing style into his game in such a short span of time, something the team had been needing, is not something which should be overlooked.
A Stark Contrast
The truth of the matter is that Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov couldn’t be any more different from each other. Aside from both of them being goaltenders for the Carolina Hurricanes, large players who take up a lot of net, and wearing their catcher on the same hand, these two are night and day.
Andersen sticks to the same systematic methods as standard in the league, whereas Kochetkov is a maverick who develops his own unconventional strategies in net. Kochetkov plays an energetic game with high mobility, speed, and athleticism, whereas Andersen plays a much slower game while covering more ground and eliminating space due to his frame. Andersen has excellent rebound control, but lacks severely in stopping pucks when inevitable rebounds do occur, while also being subpar in sealing the net. Kochetkov, on the other hand, has struggled with rebound control, but typically manages to stop rebound pucks, and has an excellent ability at sealing the net.
Last but not least lie the hands. The glove has never been Kochetkov’s strong suit, as with most Russian goaltenders, while the stick and general positioning of the arms have never been Andersen’s forte. In the early season, Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour touched on the topic of their differing playing styles. “Freddie is a lot calmer in the net and that’s the way he has to play. Whatever makes you great, that’s what you have to do, and if (Kochetkov) feels he needs to be an aggressive goalie, then do it.”
With that being said, this is in comparison to Andersen at his old standard – something that likely may not be the current standard after his significant missed time and the wear-and-tear age and 500-plus games can have on a goaltender.
Why ‘Pyotr the Great’ over ‘The Great Dane’?
To put it simply, what we have seen from Kochetkov is just the crust on the donut – we have yet to reach the jelly. Meanwhile, for Andersen, we are looking at a three-day-old glazed donut – stale and lacking in flavour. It doesn’t mean that it’s time to chuck your Krispy Kreme classic out just yet, but it is certainly less preferable when compared to the freshness and quality of the former.
Frederik Andersen has experience on his side, but Pyotr Kochetkov has potential. Typically, players don’t hit the next level once they’re past age 30. We have seen a lot from Andersen, but seeing anything new and ground-breaking is just highly unlikely. This isn’t to say he can’t perform in net, oh no, he is more than capable of some amazing moments. But rather, this is the changing of the guard. Taking a step back and making way for the next generation to show what they are made of.
Last Word on this Story
With the way that inconsistency has stung the Carolina Hurricanes this season, they can’t afford to have inconsistency in net. The Carolina Hurricanes’ Goaltenders have had some trials and tribulations throughout the first half of the season. The situation has further illustrated the importance of having reliable goaltending as the last line of defence.
Pyotr Kochetkov has shown he is ready to take the metaphorical reins of the starter’s crease. With all of these things considered, it should be the likely course of action for the Coaching Staff. Currently, they are over halfway through the season with a blockbuster trade having already taken place. The road to the playoffs will be one the Hurricanes will have to keep traction on to prevent slipping off into irrelevance in the postseason picture. “The NHL is very hard every night. Every game.” Kochetkov told Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News in the early season. “Coach told us before the season, we can’t win the Cup now. It’s just step by step.”
With Andersen’s two-game win streak upon returning and Kochetkov’s continued dependability, it is unknown whether the Hurricanes will continue to shop for goaltenders this season or not. But at least for now, the crease should be in safe hands, or rather, gloves.
Main Photo: Brad Penner- Imagn Images
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