Pyotr Kochetkov has not lost since opening night, and now he shares space with just two other goaltenders in NHL history. The Carolina Hurricanes netminder stopped 26 shots in a 7-0 shutout of the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday at Lenovo Center, pushing his season-opening winning streak to 10 games and making him the third goaltender ever to win his first 10 decisions of a season.
Only two others have done it. Jack Campbell holds the record with 11 straight wins to start the 2020-21 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carey Price won his first 10 for the Montreal Canadiens in 2016-17. Kochetkov now sits tied with Price for second on that list, one win shy of Campbell’s mark.
The Main Development: A Historic Streak Reaches Double Digits
Kochetkov’s performance against Winnipeg was not a nail-biter. He turned aside all 26 shots he faced for his second shutout of the 2026-27 season and the 13th of his career across 135 games. The win keeps his record spotless through 10 decisions, a run that now stands alone in franchise history and ranks among the rarest feats in the sport for a starting goaltender.
The Hurricanes made it easy on him. Sean Walker opened the scoring with a short-handed goal at 5:16 of the first period, his first of two goals on the night and his first multi-goal game in two seasons with Carolina. Sebastian Aho, Juuso Valimaki, Logan Stankoven, Mark Jankowski and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each added a goal as the Hurricanes piled up seven on the night.
What It Means: Carolina’s Start Leans On Its Goaltender
A 10-0 record to begin a season speaks to more than puck luck. Kochetkov has been the constant behind a Hurricanes team now sitting at 12-2-2, winners of four straight and 12 of their last 14 games. Carolina has also stretched its point streak to six games, going 5-0-1 in that span with its goaltender anchoring every outcome.
The Jets, by contrast, have nowhere to hide from this version of Kochetkov. Winnipeg fell to 4-8-3 and has now dropped nine straight, going 0-7-2 in that stretch. Stuart Skinner was pulled after allowing five goals on 17 shots at 9:09 of the second period, with Clay Stevensen finishing the game in relief and stopping 13 shots. Winnipeg had already allowed 23 goals over its previous four games before Sunday’s rout, a defensive slide that Kochetkov and Carolina’s offense exploited fully.
Context: Where Kochetkov’s Run Ranks
History here is specific. Campbell’s 11-game streak in 2020-21 remains the standard, set during Toronto’s pandemic-shortened season. Price’s 10-game run in 2016-17 stood alone as the second-best mark for nearly a decade until Sunday. Kochetkov has now matched that number, with his next start carrying the chance to tie or pass Campbell outright.
His career shutout total also continues to climb. Thirteen shutouts in 135 games is a notable rate for a goaltender still early in his NHL career, and two of those have come already this season.
What’s Next
Carolina will look to keep both streaks alive, the team’s four-game winning run and Kochetkov’s push toward NHL history, when the Hurricanes return to action later this week. Fans can track how the Hurricanes have built their recent surge in Total Apex Sports’ breakdown of what is powering the Hurricanes’ seven-game winning streak, and revisit Kochetkov’s earlier shutout performance in Hurricanes Blank Blues 4-0 Behind Kochetkov’s Shutout. Details on Carolina’s full scoring output are available in the ESPN game recap, while NHL.com’s coverage has more on Kochetkov’s milestone.
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