
The Carolina Hurricanes are looking to shake things up for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final as they try to overcome a 2-0 series hole against the Florida Panthers.
The biggest change coming is that the Canes will not be turning back to Frederik Andersen in net tonight, instead opting to hand the torch over to Russian netminder Pyotr Kochetkov.
"Kochetkov is going to play," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour on Saturday morning. "Just want to change the vibe a little bit. Kooch is a kid we've had in there all year and he's played well for us."
It hasn't been a series to remember for Andersen who hasn't necessarily been the reason the team has lost, but he's also not been playing up to his level.
He's allowed 9 goals against in two games after having led the postseason in save percentage heading into the series.
Through two rounds, Andersen had an 8-2 record, a 0.937 save percentage and looked like a Conn Smythe favorite with his timely saves and heightened play.
However, Florida has totally trivialized him, so the Canes are heading back to the drawing board.
"I don't blame Freddie on any of the goals that went in," Brind'Amour said. "Obviously the save percentage is not great if you look at that. We do need some saves, but I can't blame him on any of them. All the goals have been great shots or plays by them. But again, just want to change the vibe a little bit."
Kochetkov, 25, hasn't had the best playoff track record, with a 2-4 record and a 0.871 save percentage in nine total appearances.
However, the Russian netminder does have a pretty decent track record against the Florida Panthers, albeit not a very extensive one.
Kochetkov has started twice against the Panthers, winning both games and registering a 0.981 save percentage (stopping 70 of the 71 shots he faced) and a shutout.
The young netminder has always seemed to elevate his game against the league's top Russian netminders, so perhaps he'll be able to go toe-to-toe with Sergei Bobrovsky tonight.
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