The Carolina Hurricanes extended their point streak to seven games on Saturday in Washington, D.C., but it wasn't a good end to the night for the group. The Canes led the Washington Capitals, 3-0, early in the second period. Slowly, it disappeared. The Caps scored three unanswered goals in regulation to force overtime before finishing the comeback in overtime.
While the loss was rough, and the head coach made it known how poorly his group played, it brought an end to an otherwise good month. The Canes went 9-3-3 over the last 31 days after dropping the first two games in regulation. It was also a great month for the team's heaviest hitters. Andrei Svechnikov had ten goals and 19 points, and Sebastian Aho was right behind him with 18.
On the Other Side: Los Angeles Kings
Last meeting: The Hurricanes jumped out to a quick lead when they visited Los Angeles in October, getting the 300th and 301st goals of Jordan Staal's career in the first four minutes. They held a 3-0 lead, but the Kings scored three unanswered goals to force overtime. Seth Jarvis was the hero on that night, scoring 1:45 into extra time to complete the Canes' sweep of California.
Things in the Pacific Division are incredibly fluid right now, and the Kings are right in the thick of it. Third through sixth in the division are separated by just one point, with the Kings currently in the second Wild Card spot after a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, doing the Canes a small service in the process.
The Kings have played a lot of hockey this season, and I'm not talking about the number of games they have played. Saturday's game in Philadelphia was the 22nd time they've required extra hockey, and that is out of 53 games. They're 5-7 in games finished in overtime and 4-6 in shootout-decided games. Yet their 13 extra-time losses are still second to Vegas' 14.
Their offense is among the worst in the league in goals scored. Adrian Kempe scored twice yesterday to hit 20 goals, and Kevin Fiala is close behind with 18. However, their defense is among the best. Anton Forsberg, today's projected starter, is 11th in the league in GAA (2.46), and Darcy Kuemper isn't far behind him (2.55).
Kings to Watch
Anze Kopitar: After missing 11 games, Kopitar returned to the lineup on Saturday in Philadelphia. Assuming he's good to go today, and it appears he will be, this will mark his final trip to Raleigh, as Kopitar is retiring at the end of the season. It hasn't quite been the season he would like offensively, but Kopitar is an incredibly valuable part of the group, so his presence will be massive.
Kevin Fiala: Since joining the Kings in 2022, Fiala has really liked playing the Hurricanes. Over the last seven meetings, Fiala has five goals and nine points. He carries a three-game goal streak against the Canes into today's contest, including a pair of goals when the Kings visited Raleigh last season and one more in Los Angeles to tie the game earlier this season.
Hurricanes to Watch
Taylor Hall: I'm not sure anyone on the ice had a worse night on Saturday than Hall. He took three penalties in the game, even if the interference call was a bit weak, and he lost a race to the front of the net, making contact with Andersen on the eventual game-winner. As a long-time veteran in the NHL, it'll be all about moving on to the next one, which makes me think Hall will do something big today.
Mark Jankowski: The Canes' fourth line was one of their most effective in D.C. Jankowski scored the opening goal, with his linemates picking up the assists. He has five points in his last seven, with the three-point performance against the Panthers doing a lot of the heavy lifting. In the second half of a back-to-back for both teams, it'll be the grinders at the bottom of the lineup who'll need to be sharp.