NHL
Kochetkov Wins Eighth Straight Start as Hurricanes Defeat Bruins
Sebastian Aho’s third-period goal lifted Carolina past Boston 2–1 as Kochetkov won his eighth consecutive start to open the season.
Pyotr Kochetkov won his eighth consecutive start to begin the season as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Boston Bruins 2–1 on Tuesday at Lenovo Center. Sebastian Aho scored the deciding goal midway through the third period, ending Boston’s eight-game point streak.
Kochetkov made 14 saves as Carolina improved to 10–2–2. The NHL’s game report credited Jackson Blake with the Hurricanes’ other goal, while Pavel Zacha scored Boston’s lone marker and Jeremy Swayman finished with 28 saves.
Boston began quickly. Zacha converted on the power play at 1:31 of the opening period after a passing sequence involving David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm. The early goal put Carolina behind before its home crowd, but the Hurricanes prevented the Bruins from extending the advantage.
Blake tied the game at 19:08 of the first after Nikolaj Ehlers forced a turnover below the goal line. That left the teams level entering the second period, and neither side scored again until Aho’s finish at 10:19 of the third.
The winning sequence developed on the rush, with Andrei Svechnikov and William Carrier helping move the puck to Aho. He reached to his backhand and sent the puck beneath Swayman’s blocker, providing the separation Carolina needed in a game with little room on the scoreboard.
The official NHL score record confirms the one-goal final. Carolina’s 30–15 shot advantage meant Swayman faced twice Kochetkov’s workload, but the Hurricanes still had to defend a narrow lead through the closing minutes.
Carolina killed two minor penalties during the final 4:41, denying Boston opportunities to force overtime. The successful finish extended the Hurricanes’ point streak to four games at 3–0–1 and began their homestand with a victory after a five-game road trip.
Boston fell to 9–3–1 after entering on a 7–0–1 run. For Kochetkov, the win preserved a perfect start in his own appearances; for Carolina, it paired controlled shot volume with the late penalty killing required to turn Aho’s goal into two standings points.
