🏒 NHL St. Louis Blues vs Carolina Hurricanes Oct 24 (Sat) 23:00 Hit 0:4

St. Louis Blues vs Carolina Hurricanes prediction: Goaltender matchup

-6.3% · 17/29 (59%) ·Oct 24 (Sat) 18:28 ·👁 328💬 0

Prediction ✓ Away @ 1.681xBet Best odds at posting

Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to start for Carolina, while Joel Hofer is confirmed for St. Louis. Both have opened the season well, but the goaltending setup leans slightly toward the Hurricanes: Kochetkov is 6-0-0 with a 1.98 GAA, and Carolina gave him an extra recovery game by starting Brandon Bussi in Edmonton on Thursday. Hofer is 4-2-1 with a 2.17 GAA and .921 save percentage, but this will be his third consecutive start in a five-day span.

Projected Lineup Basis

Home: Dylan Holloway · Robert Thomas · Jimmy Snuggerud · Philip Broberg · Justin Barron. St. Louis is keeping the same lineup after consecutive home wins, and that continuity has helped Hofer by limiting long defensive-zone sequences. The concern is workload: the Blues are asking the same goalie-defense structure to handle another high-pressure opponent after wins over Winnipeg and Vegas.

Away: William Carrier · Sebastian Aho · Andrei Svechnikov · Jaccob Slavin · Jalen Chatfield. Carolina remains without Jordan Staal, Taylor Hall and Mark Jankowski, but Seth Jarvis has returned and the Hurricanes still have enough forechecking depth to attack in waves. Slavin and Chatfield give Kochetkov a reliable first pair for closing the slot and recovering rebounds before second chances develop.

Home Goaltender Check

Joel Hofer — Status: CONFIRMED
Recent workload: Hofer made 32 saves in a 2-1 win over Winnipeg on Tuesday and 27 saves in a 6-2 win over Vegas on Thursday. This is his third straight start, creating the heavier fatigue profile in this matchup.

Away Goaltender Check

Pyotr Kochetkov — Status: EXPECTED
Recent workload: Kochetkov last started Tuesday in Vancouver, making 14 saves in a 6-3 win to improve to 6-0-0. Brandon Bussi started Thursday, so Kochetkov enters with the cleaner rest pattern.

The matchup turns on whether St. Louis can keep Carolina out of the inner slot for three periods. Hofer has been excellent during the Blues' two-game winning streak, but Carolina's forecheck and transition pressure can force repeated second efforts around the crease. At the other end, Kochetkov has benefited from a Hurricanes structure that recovers loose pucks quickly, and his fresher workload gives Carolina the better late-game goaltending condition.

Low-scoring scenario: Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 St. Louis Blues if both goalies control rebounds and the Blues' penalty kill prevents Carolina from creating repeated back-door chances.
Baseline scenario: Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 St. Louis Blues, with Kochetkov's fresher workload and Carolina's deeper pressure game creating the deciding edge late.