Hurricanes go back to ex-Leaf Frederik Andersen for Game 4 of East finals
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Kochetkov helped Carolina get into the third period of Game 3 with the score tied at 1-1 — then gave up five goals in a nine-minute span of the third, as Florida pulled away for a 6-2 win and a 3-0 lead in the East title series.
'He's been great for us all year,' Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Monday. 'He's had a nice couple of days off, so it makes sense to chuck him in there.'
Brind'Amour didn't blame Kochetkov for the Game 3 loss, noting that he had kept Carolina in the game for 40 minutes. But with the season at stake, Andersen's 82 career postseason starts coming into Monday probably rated him the edge over Kochetkov — who made his fourth career postseason start Saturday.
'He's been through some trials and tribulations in his career, he's taken months off and then walks into the net and looks like hasn't missed a beat,' Brind'Amour said. 'I don't know how that is, but it's certainly a unique skill set he's bringing and we need it tonight.'
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Winnipeg Free Press
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