Antti Raanta was recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old goalie was 6-5-1 with 3.61 goals-against average, .854 save percentage and one shutout in 14 games (12 starts) with the Hurricanes before he was reassigned to the AHL on Dec. 17 after clearing waivers. He was 1-0-1 with a 2.90 GAA and .875 save percentage in two games with Chicago.
Raanta allowed six goals on 30 shots in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators on Dec. 15, his last start for the Hurricanes. He will back up Pyotr Kochetkov at the Nashville Predators on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSSO).
"We know what he's capable of and hopefully him more maybe just getting that break will hopefully reenergize him," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said.
In a corresponding move, goalie Yaniv Perets was sent to Norfolk of the ECHL. Perets was called up when Raanta was sent down, but did not play a game for Carolina.
Raanta is 133-78-28 with a 2.49 GAA, .915 save percentage and 20 shutouts in 267 games over 11 NHL seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes and Hurricanes, and 9-9 with a 2.48 GAA, .911 save percentage and one shutout in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Kochetkov has emerged as Carolina's No. 1 goalie this season with Frederik Andersen having been out since Nov. 2 because of blood clotting issues.
Kochetkov, who has started 11 of the Hurricanes' past 14 games, is 7-7-0 with a 2.69 GAA, .894 save percentage and one shutout in 18 games (16 starts).
Carolina (17-13-2) ranks 17th in the NHL in goals against per game (3.18) and last in team save percentage (.876). Last season, they ranked second in goals against per game (2.56) and tied for 12th in team save percentage (.902).
"It's the most important position clearly," Brind'Amour said. "I mean we've seen when the goalies are good what it does for us and when it's kind of iffy what it does for us. ... We need to get that (consistency) going here in the second half of the year."
