Recap: Canes Storm Past Rangers On Sunday

NEW YORK - After giving up a goal 17 seconds in, the Carolina Hurricanes settled in and climbed from behind to take a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

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New York's Jimmy Vesey finished off a rush chance on his team's first shift of the game to put the Canes on the back foot through 20 minutes, but a dominant second stanza saw the visitors tally twice for a 2-1 lead.

William Carrier potted the first of those, putting in the hard work around the crease to poke home a loose puck midway through the frame. Five minutes later, Jack Roslovic drew a high-sticking penalty, left the game for some repairs and returned just in time to score the go-ahead goal, finishing a perfect pass from Dmitry Orlov at the back door on the ensuing power play.

A dedicated defensive effort from Carolina protected the lead in the third, and Sebastian Aho put away an empty-netter to clinch the two points.

Pyotr Kochetkov made 22 saves in a sterling showing between the pipes and led the Canes in scoring with two assists.

Stats & Standouts

• In a battle between two of the game's best Russian netminders, Pyotr Kochetkov shone brightest. Per Natural Stat Trick, Kochetkov stopped eight out of nine high-danger opportunities amidst his 22-save showing, and his season-long .855 HDSV% (high-danger save percentage) ranks second among goalies with 1000+ minutes played behind Connor Hellebuyck.
• With two assists, Kochetkov also became the second goalie in franchise history with a multi-point game, joining Hartford's Kay Whitmore in the 1988-89 season. He now leads the league in scoring among goaltenders this season and is the only NHL netminder with a multi-point performance in 2024-25.
• The Hurricanes fired 16 shots on Igor Shesterkin as they took control during the second period - just three shy of their season-high of 19 shots in a single period.
• That's now nine straight games without allowing a power-play goal for the Canes' PK units, holding a potent New York club off the scoreboard in four chances on Sunday.
• Jordan Staal earned his 400th NHL assist on William Carrier's second-period strike. He joins Brent Burns as the only active Hurricanes to reach the 400-helper milestone.

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour touching on the game-opening goal and what followed...

"It wasn't even a bad shift. We got in there, we're on it, and we just missed the puck. They made a nice play. You have to tip your hat. Their D activated, we didn't pick him up, and they put it in the net. It was a good play by them. After that, the rest of the game and especially the second period, we were pretty dialed in."

Jack Roslovic on what allowed the team to get back into the contest after the tough start...

"I think we just stuck to the game. It was a great effort, just keeping it consistent, keeping to our forecheck and not giving them any chances. [We didn't] step off the gas. It was just a good effort all the way through, minus the first 17 seconds."

Rod Brind'Amour on Kochetkov's afternoon...

"He was good. It was a tough start, we gave up a weird one right off the bat. They made a nice play. But then after that, he was solid. He made I don't know how many, a lot of good backdoor plays. Especially on the power play for them. They had a few good looks. He was great for us."

Pyotr Kochetkov following the win...

"Playing against the Rangers is always tough. I'm happy we won today. It was good teamwork, and good penalty killing - they were unbelievable today. A lot of blocked shots. What the guys did today was very good. As for the two assists, I was just lucky."

What's Next?

The Canes are right back in action on Monday night in the Music City, taking on Brady Skjei and the Nashville Predators.

Next Game: Monday, Dec. 23 at Nashville Predators | 8:00 pm

Next Home Game: Saturday, Dec. 28 vs. New Jersey | 7:00 pm | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights