Hurricanes 4, Blues 0: Kochetkov's Seventh Straight Start

October 24, 2026 - St. Louis - Cam Fowler tripped Jackson Blake on a delayed penalty. Blake still got the puck to the slot. Sean Walker one-timed it. Enterprise Center had 1-0 Carolina at 4:45 of the second, and the Stanley Cup champions had the first of four unanswered.

The Carolina Hurricanes beat the St. Louis Blues 4-0. Carolina is 9-2-2 and closed a five-game trip 3-1-1. St. Louis is 5-5-1 after two wins to open a five-game homestand. Shots were 39-24 Carolina. Attendance was 18,096. Pyotr Kochetkov, Seth Jarvis, Fowler, and Connor McMichael are not seeded on AthX player pages, so those names stay unlinked.

Kochetkov stopped all 24. It was his seventh straight win to open the season, one shy of Frederik Andersen's franchise record in 2021-22, and his first shutout of the year. The Associated Press recap called it his 12th NHL shutout. Walker, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Logan Stankoven, and Nikolaj Ehlers scored. Jarvis and Sebastian Aho each had two assists. Joel Hofer stopped 35 of 39.

Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour told NHL.com they just saw an effort all the way around. When we had a couple breakdowns, Koots was great. He's obviously the first star of the night for me.

20 seconds, then a breakaway after a kill

Walker scored with Kochetkov on the bench for the delayed penalty. Blake's assist was his 100th NHL point, the AP recap said. The NHL recap called Blake "Jason." The box is Jackson.

Kotkaniemi made it 2-0 twenty seconds later at 5:05. He and Jordan Martinook worked a give-and-go off the left corner, and Kotkaniemi finished inside the right post.

Ehlers told NHL.com that besides his turnover that led to a breakaway, they started the second pretty well. When we play the right way and get skating and get pucks out, get pucks in, we're a really good team.

McMichael got that breakaway. Kochetkov stopped it. Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud had looks early, Colton Parayko told NHL.com. We definitely had our chances.

Stankoven made it 3-0 at 13:35, his fourth goal in three games. Carolina had just killed a penalty. Jarvis sprung him from the defensive zone. Snap, short side. Brind'Amour: we came out of that penalty kill right after that and we get a goal. What a great play by Jars up to Stanks. That could have swung the game if the Blues scored on the power play instead.

Ehlers on the power play, then a third they liked better than Thursday

Ehlers scored at 4:30 of the third. A loose puck in the slot. Aho to Ehlers in the left circle, empty side. 4-0. Andrei Svechnikov the other assist.

Ehlers on the third: we like that third period a lot better than the last one against Edmonton. They play a tight game, they don't give you a lot, but we found ways to get the goals and Koochy shut it down. Thursday was a 6-5 shootout loss in Edmonton.

St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery told NHL.com it was very humbling, and a tutorial by the Stanley Cup champions about how to play to who you are no matter the score. They were as committed in the third period up 3-0, up 4-0 as they were at the start. They're above us, so that's an elite team in the League, if not the elite team in the League.

Brind'Amour: there's not too many nights where you don't get that effort. We have a pretty honest group. It's good on these guys to finish a long trip on the right note.

The Blues were held scoreless for the first time this season, the AP recap said.

AthX Engine on a 24-save shutout that still got outshot at the other end

AthX Engine (our projection and scoring system) scored Kochetkov at 14.60: a win, 24 saves, no goals against, plus 2 for the shutout. He is not on the public goalie daily board because he is not seeded, so Devin Cooley shows first there at 13.00. Stankoven is 7.50. Walker is 7.30. Jarvis is 6.80. Ehlers is 6.70 with a power-play bonus. Hofer's 35-save loss is 9.20. Carolina's club line is 20.80. St. Louis floors at 0.00.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for a Hurricanes club that just went 3-1-1 on the road, and for Hofer after 35 saves in a 4-0. They move together. They are not the same number.

Track Stankoven, Ehlers, Hofer, and both clubs on the marketplace. Boston visits Carolina on Tuesday. Montreal visits St. Louis that night.

*Sources: NHL.com recap, ESPN recap, ESPN box. AthX Engine fantasy points scored from NHL gamecenter box 2026020175. Information only; not financial advice.*