By Bob Sutton
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 have won back-to-back games for the first time since November 25-27.
With this defeat, the Islanders experience their second three-game point streak of the season. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin was pulled after allowing four goals on 23 shots in two periods, with Marcus Hogberg finishing with six saves in the third.
Kochetkov stopped 13 shots in the first period, but faced just nine in the third to earn his ninth career shutout. Carolina needed just one penalty in the team’s second shutout of the season.
Takeaways
Islanders: They have been shut out five times this season, but this was the first time since October. Allowing 13 goals in the last three games might be a bigger concern.
Hurricanes: They finished a home game 3-1-0 with signs that a slump with four losses in five games starting in late November might have come and gone. They avenged a 4-3 loss on December 7 in New York.
Key moment
The Hurricanes scored twice in less than three minutes early in the first period, bringing their first-period goal total to 34 in 31 games.
Key statistic
Three of Svechnikov’s 12 goals this season have come on power plays against the Islanders.
Following
The Hurricanes travel to Washington on Thursday night, while the Islanders complete a three-game road trip Saturday in Toronto.
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