Kochetkov stopped 24 shots in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
Carolina held a 3-0 lead after Mark Jankowski scored just 16 seconds into the third period, but Kochetkov needed to be sharp as Columbus staged a rally in the final frame that fell just short. The 27-year-old goalie remains unbeaten, going 9-0-0 with a 1.66 GAA and .919 save percentage to begin the Hurricanes' defense of their Stanley Cup championship.