Hurricanes find a way to cramp Kings’ style
L.A. is off its usual tight-checking game in fast-and-loose effort for third straight loss.
CAROLINA 5 KINGS 4
Martin Necas scored and Seth Jarvis had a goal for the third straight game in the Carolina Hurricanes’ 5-4 win over the Kings on Saturday at Staples Center.
Sebastian Aho and Derek Stepan each had a goal and an assist to help the Hurricanes to their fourth victory in a row. Frederik Andersen made 38 saves and had an assist.
“Really, at the end of the day, that was just a bad game for us, like, really bad,“Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Give the other team a lot of credit. They played hard and the way they would want to play. We just never got going. We’re fortunate to get that one.”
Adrian Kempe scored twice for the Kings, who have lost three straight following a seven-game winning streak. Cal Petersen gave up five goals in 20 shots.
“It was a little too loose for us,“Kings center Blake Lizotte said. “Kind of racehorse hockey, trading chances back and forth, and that’s not typically our identity.”
Carolina took the lead twice in the first period, only for the Kings to respond.
The give-and-take continued in the second period, with the Hurricanes again going in front twice. Aho’s eighth goal of the season to go up 3-2 at 6:16 was canceled out by Kempe’s shorthanded breakaway at 9:33.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored on a backhand with nine minutes left in the period to give Carolina a 4-3 edge, but Brendan Lemieux was able to sweep Matt Roy’s rebound in with two minutes left.
“That’s not necessarily the style we want to play,” Lizotte said. “I think our team is built to win more of a 3-2 type style, tight-checking game.”