The Associated Press

This article was written by The Associated Press.

RALEIGH, N.C.

In a game on Thursday night, Sebastian Aho’s goal with 18.9 seconds remaining led the Carolina Hurricanes to a 1-0 victory over the Florida Panthers, with Pyotr Kochetkov making key contributions.

Kochetkov made 44 saves in his third shutout of the season. Carolina has won four games in a row and six of their last seven.

The Florida team had achieved victory in 11 consecutive games on the road, just one game away from matching the NHL record.

The recent game between the two teams was a repeat of last season’s Eastern Conference Final, and it had the intensity of a playoff match even though it took place in February. Both games in Raleigh during the playoffs in May went into overtime, including a grueling four-overtime match in the first game.

Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour stated that it felt as though they were nearly back in the same situation as the playoffs.

Aho secured the victory for Carolina by scoring against Sergei Bobrovsky, following a shot attempt by Andrei Svechnikov that was thwarted before reaching the goal.

Aho missed a key scoring chance with 3:46 remaining in the game when he was unable to convert a tip-in opportunity near the goal. He expressed regret, stating that he “missed an easy goal.”

After Aho’s initial miss, Florida scored a goal with 3:19 remaining, which was initially credited to Eetu Luostarinen. However, the goal was later overturned due to an offside call after a challenge by Brind’Amour.

“I had another opportunity and managed to score,” Aho stated about his 21st goal of the season, which leads his team.

The goalies were the ones who carried the majority of the weight. Kochetkov’s impressive glove save against Evan Rodrigues during a 2-on-1 rush at the beginning of the third period was just one of the standout moments for the Carolina goalie.

“We only had one goal,” stated Brind’Amour. “We relied on (Kochetkov) to be flawless and he delivered.”

Bobrovsky, the standout player in the Panthers’ dominant win over Carolina in the playoffs, was just as impressive. He also received assistance from the goal frame. In the first period, Jordan Martinook’s shot hit the left post and in the second, Tony D’Angelo’s shot had a similar outcome.

Kochetkov, a 24-year-old Russian, found special significance in defeating his 35-year-old fellow countryman. Bobrovsky ended the game with 28 successful saves.

“He’s an unbelievable goalie and unbelievable man,” Kochetkov said. “For me, it’s a little bit of a special day and a special game.”

In the last two periods, the Panthers were missing forward Matthew Tkachuk and defenseman Gustav Forsling.

UP NEXT

The Panthers will be hosting Washington on Saturday.

The Hurricanes will face off against Dallas on Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Source: wralsportsfan.com