A "roster technicality" sidelines Kochetkov, while Andersen's absence forces an emergency backup into net. Goaltending woes mount for the Canes.
Well, the Carolina Hurricanes were expecting to see the return of Pyotr Kochetkov tonight on Long Island for their regular season finale, but it turns out that he will in fact not be playing.
Due to an apparent "roster technicality," Kochetkov was unable to play even despite leading the team out onto the ice for warmups.
The Russian netminder had been out of action since late December due to lower-body surgeries, but he had returned to the ice with the team last month and was recalled on Monday after a two-game conditioning stint in the AHL.
The team was hoping to get Kochetkov one full game of NHL action to see if he could indeed be a potential option heading into the postseason, but it seems like they won't get the chance.
And then to make matters even worse, the team is pretty much forced to play Brandon Bussi for a second straight day as Frederik Andersen isn't available to play either.
That means emergency backup goaltender Thomas Sullivan is the Canes' backup for tonight.
All in all, a weird situation for Carolina, but as it's Game 82 and the Hurricanes have already locked up their playoff position, it's one that doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things.
Recent Articles
Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.