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Hurricanes get big Pyotr Kochetkov injury update ahead of Round 1 vs. Senators
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- Hurricanes get big Pyotr Kochetkov injury update ahead of Round 1 vs. Senators
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The Carolina Hurricanes are fresh off winning the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history. They begin their quest to bring a Stanley Cup championship to Raleigh for the first time since 2006 this weekend, opening up their postseason against the No. 8 seeded Ottawa Senators.
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And they'll have three healthy goaltenders for the series.
Pyotr Kochetkov, who hasn't been between the pipes since the middle of December due to a lower-body injury, will be available for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, head coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed to NHL.com.
It's an interesting update after the Russian underwent surgery at the end of December; he was not expected to play again in 2025-26. But the 26-year-old suited up for the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves twice, once on Friday against the Grand Rapids Griffins and again on Sunday vs. the Rockford IceHogs.
He ended up playing one period in the former and two in the latter, and has now been given the green light to join the Hurricanes ahead of the postseason.
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Kochetkov is 6-2-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average, an .899 save percentage and one shutout over eight starts with Carolina this season. He now re-joins rookie Brandon Bussi and veteran Frederik Andersen.
It's currently up in the air as to who will start Game 1 of Round 1. Bussi got off to an incredible start to the campaign but has cooled off; he's still a terrific 31-6-2 with a 2.47 goals-against average and .895 save percentage.
Andersen, meanwhile, is 16-14-5 with a 3.05 GAA and .874 SV%.
The Hurricanes are a powerhouse, finishing the 2025-26 season 53-22-7 and second overall in NHL standings, behind only the President's Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
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While goaltending is arguably the team's biggest weakness, both Bussi and Andersen have been more than solid down the stretch. What Brind'Amour now has is three capable netminders, so if one falters in the postseason, he likely won't hesitate to make a change.
After losing to the Florida Panthers in the 2025 Eastern Conference Final, the Canes will be looking to go one round further this time around. The journey begins at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh on either Saturday or Sunday.
Related: Nikolaj Ehlers adds name to Hurricanes history books in loss to Flyers
