Carolina Hurricanes: 3 Keys to Beating the Los Angeles Kings

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RALEIGH, NC – DECEMBER 23: Lucas Wallmark #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes goes down on the ice to clear a puck through the neutral zone during an NHL game against the Boston Bruins on December 23, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. Don’t Play Down to Competition

The Hurricanes need to keep their foot on the gas pedal. They are in the thick of a very tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The team currently sits as the first wild card team with the Philadelphia Flyers, the second wild card team, and the Florida Panthers within three points of the Hurricanes.

They can’t afford to play down to their competition. These are two points the Hurricanes need and should be able to get. I know that anything could happen on any given night, but on paper this Hurricanes team is miles ahead of the Kings. Ride the wave from last night and take control of this game as well.

The crowd should be a large one tomorrow since it is Whalers night, so the team could have extra motivation. They need to play a full game and not let up. They can’t resort to getting lazy and taking unnecessary stick infractions or getting out of position by not skating with urgency. The Hurricanes have a great opportunity to keep climbing in the standings and this game is perfect example of that.

What the Hurricanes can’t do is take the Kings lightly and look ahead to Monday’s game against the Capitals. Worry about the game against the Capitals when the game against the Kings is over. This happens to teams and I wish it wouldn’t and the Hurricanes can’t fall victim to that. Yes, the game on Monday is a bigger matchup and a game that the Hurricanes are probably marking on their calendar, considering the bad blood. But the game tonight is just as important for the Carolina Hurricanes.

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