The Carolina Hurricanes started goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov for Thursday's crucial Game 3 against the New York Rangers.
Frederik Andersen had started every Carolina playoff game this year before the switch. He went 4-1 with a .912 save percentage against the New York Islanders in Round 1 but has allowed eight goals in two losses to open the series against the Rangers while counterpart Igor Shesterkin has shined.
Kochetkov was Carolina's most-used goaltender this season with 40 starts, but he took a back seat to Andersen after the veteran returned from a blood clotting issue that sidelined him for most of the campaign.
Kochetkov was 23-13-4 with four shutouts and a .911 save percentage in the regular season. He's 1-3 lifetime in the playoffs with an .858 clip.
New York leads the series 2-0.
