Kochetkov's 1st shutout of season lifts Hurricanes past Islanders

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Pyotr Kochetkov made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 4-0 on Tuesday night.

Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist, while Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Martinook and Tyson Jost also scored. Shayne Gostisbehere provided two assists.

The Hurricanes won back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 25 and 27.

With the loss, the Islanders have their second three-game stretch of the season without a point. Goalie Ilya Sorokin was pulled after allowing four goals on 23 shots through two periods, with Marcus Hogberg finishing with six saves in the third.

Kochetkov stopped 13 first-period shots, but faced only nine in the third to pick up his ninth career shutout. Carolina needed only one penalty kill in the team’s second shutout of the season.

Takeaways

Islanders: They’ve been shut out five times this season, but this was the first time since October. Allowing 13 goals across the past three games might be a bigger concern.

Hurricanes: They finished a 3-1-0 homestand with signs that a slump with four losses in a five-game stretch beginning in late November might have come and gone. They avenged a 4-3 loss Dec. 7 at New York.

Key moment

The Hurricanes scored twice in a stretch of less than three minutes early in the first period, pushing their first-period goals total to 34 across their 31 games.

Key stat

Three of Svechnikov’s 12 goals this season have come on power plays vs. the Islanders.

Up next

The Hurricanes go to Washington on Thursday night, while the Islanders complete a three-game road stretch Saturday at Toronto.

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