Hurricanes goaltender nearly avoids massive 10-game suspension from the NHL

The Hurricanes are off to a slow start this season with a 2-2 record in their first four games. Fans have high hopes for the team to be Stanley Cup contenders again so this start has been a bit disappointing. However, it's still early in the season, so there's no reason to panic just yet. That said, losing to the St. Louis Blues, a team many expected Carolina to beat, stings a bit more.

Despite the tough loss, things could have gone much worse. After the final whistle, Kochetkov almost got himself a ten-game suspension by jumping off the bench to join a post-game scrum. Fortunately, fellow Russian and teammate Dmitri Orlov grabbed his jersey and stopped him from getting involved, likely saving him from a major penalty.

Kochetkov is expected to take on a bigger role this season after Antti Raanta left for Europe. The Hurricanes need him to stay in the lineup, especially with two starts already under his belt this season, splitting wins and losses while allowing 6 goals on 45 shots.

With 71 NHL games under his belt, Kochetkov has a career record of 39-21-9, including 8 shutouts. He holds a solid .909 save percentage and a 2.39 goals-against average. If he stays on track, he could be a key player for the Hurricanes for years to come.