Kochetkov helps Hurricanes top Bruins in Game 2, extend series lead

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Pyotr Kochetkov made 30 saves in relief in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Boston Bruins 5-2 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PNC Arena on Wednesday.

The Hurricanes lead the series 2-0. Game 3 is at Boston on Friday.
Kochetkov, a 22-year-old rookie who had played three NHL games, came in for Antti Raanta (six saves), who left at 7:47 of the first period after he was hit by Bruins forward David Pastrnak as he was playing the puck just outside the crease. Pastrnak made contact with the goalie's left leg and head and was assessed a minor penalty for goaltender interference.
"We've got faith in the kid," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We've seen him. It's not like we're just throwing him in. The guys responded in the way they played in front of him, but he responded in the way he played. There's a lot of faith in that group with our goalie."

Kochetkov was recalled from Chicago of the American Hockey League on April 18, made his NHL debut five days later and went 3-0-0, with a 2.42 GAA and .902 save percentage in three games (two starts).
Raanta made 35 saves in his first NHL playoff start, a 5-1 Carolina win on Monday. No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen hasn't played since April 16 because of a lower-body injury. Brind'Amour said Raanta was not placed in concussion protocol.
Kotchetkov's steady performance came after Andrei Svechnikov's words of encouragement when he came into the game in the first period.
"I said, 'Be confident and don't worry about anything. It's playoff hockey and I know you're ready. You're going to produce well here," the Hurricanes forward said.
Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter scored two goals each for the Hurricanes, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Tony DeAngelo had three assists.
Patrice Bergeron scored both goals for the Bruins, who are the first wild card in the East. Linus Ullmark made 29 saves.
Boston had 13 minor penalties and gave up two power-play goals.
"Their special teams were good tonight," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I thought our power play was better, produced. And then it comes down to discipline. We were in the box a lot tonight, and you have to look at that and see what was warranted, what wasn't, but that can't continue either."
RELATED: [Complete Hurricanes vs. Bruins series coverage]
The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead at 13:03 of the first period. Jordan Staal made a cross-ice pass to Jesper Fast, who scored on a one-timer from the left circle.
Carolina pushed it to 2-0 at 15:30 when Aho tipped DeAngelo's shot in the slot.
"We've gotten some plays off tips and things like that," Brind'Amour said. "We've gone months when we couldn't get one of those. Right now it's working for us."
Aho's power-play goal gave the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead at 1:10 of the second period. He one-timed a pass from DeAngelo above the right face-off circle.
"It's high-paced, very intense, physical," Aho said. "A lot happened in that game. As a player, you love to play a game like that."

Bergeron cut the Carolina lead to 3-1 at 14:57 of the second period when he followed his own backhand and slipped the puck under Kochetkov.
Niederreiter scored after a goal-front scramble during a 5-on-3 to make it 4-1 lead with 1:08 left in the second period.
Bergeron redirected Charlie McAvoy's shot with his left skate to make it 4-2 at 12:21.
"One game at a time. That's all we can focus on now, it's game three," Bergeron said. "It's playoff hockey, you have some adversity. For us it's early. So, you know, back to game three."
The Bruins had a 6-on-4 after pulling Ullmark and going on the power play late in the third, but Kochetkov stopped Pastrnak on a back-door pass before making a save on McAvoy in the slot.
Niederreiter scored an empty-net goal with 41 seconds remaining for the 5-2 final.
NOTES: Kochetkov (22 years, 313 days) is the third-youngest goalie in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to make his playoff debut, behind Kay Whitmore (21 years, 360 days) & Cam Ward (22 years, 54 days). … Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm left the game late in the second period after a check from Svechnikov. Cassidy did not have an update on Lindholm. … Bergeron scored his 47th playoff goal to pass Phil Esposito for second on the Bruins all-time list (Cam Neely, 55). … Niederreiter has three goals in the first two games of the series, matching his total in 29 playoff games the past three seasons. … DeAngelo has four assists in the series. … Svechnikov had a career-high nine hits. … The Hurricanes are the second team in NHL history to have two different goalies each record his first playoff win in the first two games of a postseason (Detroit Red Wings, Ron Low and Jim Rutherford, 1978). ... Carolina has won five straight against Boston this season, outscoring its opponent 26-4. The Hurricanes defeated the Bruins 3-0 on Oct. 28, 7-1 on Jan. 18, and 6-0 on Feb. 10 in the regular season, and 5-1 in Game 1 on Monday.