RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Karel Vejmelka made 36 saves, and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0 on Wednesday night to stop a four-game slide.
Lawson Crouse scored two goals, including an empty-netter, and Nick Schmaltz and Nick Bjugstad also scored for the Coyotes on the eighth stop of a 14-game road trip. Shayne Gostisbehere and Dylan Guenther each had two assists.
Vejmelka has two shutouts in 13 appearances this season.
Pyotr Kochetkov, just hours after a contract extension was announced, stopped 22 shots for Carolina. He wasn’t expected to be on the ice, but scheduled starter Antti Raanta was the backup instead.
Carolina lost its fourth game in a row. It was shut out for the second time this season.
The Hurricanes’ previous three games ended in overtime losses, marking the first time that had happened in franchise history.
Carolina put 14 shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes. Plus, winger Andrei Svechnikov missed wide on an open net during the Hurricanes’ 5-for-3 power play.
The Coyotes scored on their only first-period shot, with Schmaltz beating Kochetkov 66 seconds into the game for his first goal of the season in his third game.
Crouse got his first goal of the night 1:52 into the third period, seconds after a power play expired. Bjugstad scored his fourth goal at 9:14 of the third, giving him three goals in his last two games. Crouse closed it out with his team-leading ninth goal with 2:07 left.
SIGN HIM UP
The Hurricanes announced the signing of Kochetkov to a four-year contract extension at an average annual value of $2 million per season through 2026-27.
Kochetkov, 23, appeared in his eighth career game and fifth this season Wednesday night. He entered the game with a 5-0-2 career record.
ICE ITEMS
Defensemen Josh Brown and Juuso Valimaki of the Coyotes were out with upper-body injuries. ... The Hurricanes are 12-2-2 in the last 16 meetings with Arizona.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: Friday at Detroit.
Hurricanes: Friday at Boston.
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