RALEIGH, N.C. — Andrei Svechnikov is the only teammate who can actually communicate with Pyotr Kochetkov, which makes him the de facto — and perhaps only — expert on the Carolina Hurricanes' sudden starting goaltender after all of a few weeks with the team.
So it may be instructive that when Kochetkov found himself trading slashes with Boston Bruins uber-pest Brad Marchand in the second period of the Russian rookie's relief appearance Wednesday night, Svechnikov was perhaps the least surprised of anyone.
"He's that kind of guy," Svechnikov said. "I remember from the past, playing with him in junior hockey, he was always that kind of guy. He gets into that. I told him after second period, stay calm. That's always what I'm saying to myself as well."
