For Carolina Hurricanes netminder, Pyotr Kochetkov, Thursday night's 1-0 shutout win — his second in his last four starts and seventh of his career— was a special moment.
It wasn't because it was a game against the league's hottest team, the Florida Panthers, nor the fact that it was yet another shutout for the young Russian goalie.
No, it was special because of who Kochetkov outbattled on the other end of the ice in 1-0 victory: Sergei Bobrovsky.
Because you see, Kochetkov has always looked up to Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and the first Russian netminder to win the award.
"Bob is an unbelievable goalie," Kochetkov said after Thursday's win. "An unbelievable man. Today is a little bit special day, special game."
Kochetkov recalled that starting when he was around 12 years old, he would spend hours and hours on his computer watching Bobrovsky's highlights.
He did the same for goaltenders like Martin Brodeur too, but there was something about Bob's style of play that drew him in.
The fact that he was also a fellow Russian certainly helped his affinity too.
Bob was one of the most influential players on Kochetkov's career, and Thursday night's game was the first chance the 24-year-old goaltender had had to go toe-to-toe with one of his idols.
He had had the opportunity to meet with him on the ice once before, a meeting between Carolina and Florida last season, but neither started that evening.
Last night though, he had the chance to prove himself in front of his all-time favorite, and he delivered with a 44-save shutout.
Kochetkov has built a relationship with Bobrovsky, even meeting up with the veteran Wednesday night before the game, but it's safe to say that that connection only fueled him more in his drive to make an impression.
"I really wanted to play together with him," Kochetkov said about his dream growing up. "But [tonight] it was not together. It was a battle."
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