Kochetkov Opens Up on Brutal Injury Return

Pyotr Kochetkov steps back onto the ice for practice, finally breaking his silence on the injury that's tested his mettle this season. The young netminder admits it's been a tough grind, one that every goalie in this league knows too well from those long rehab nights in quiet rinks. Carolina's crease depth gets a boost with him eyeing a return, but whispers from the locker room hint at how this setback shapes their playoff push.