The Kings opened February just as they’d hoped, snapping their four-game skid. Closing out their five-game road trip with a win, the Kings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 and further distanced themselves from the Calgary Flames in the standings to stay in the coveted third position of the Pacific Division.
The Kings fell behind surrendering the game’s first goal. Coming after multiple big saves by Darcy Kuemper, the Hurricanes eventually found the back of the net with 4:38 to go in the opening period. The former King Sean Walker factored in on the goal, cranking a big one-timer from the point. Walker’s shot was deflected by Jesperi Kotkaniemi just above the crease and past Kuemper for the goal. Responding before period’s end were the Kings, seizing the momentum. Following a defensive zone turnover by Dmitri Orlov of the Hurricanes, Phillip Danault corralled the puck and rifled a wrist shot short side high past Frederik Andersen tying the game.
Carrying that momentum through the intermission and into the second period, Trevor Moore struck just over one minute in to give the Kings a lead they wouldn’t surrender. Coming from a scrum behind the Hurricanes crease, the puck eventually made its way to the front of the net and Moore pocketed his seventh goal of the season with a second effort to put the Kings in front. The Kings then added to their lead late in the period when Kevin Fiala put the team on his back. Coming off of a beautiful individual play, Fiala deked his way around multiple defenders, out-waited Andersen and beat the tender with a wrist shot to double the team’s lead.
Enter period three and the Hurricanes cut the lead to one 5:44 in. Just after a contested breakaway by Akil Thomas went unsuccessful the Hurricanes quickly flipped the ice and found Eric Robinson for his own breakaway. Robinson entered the zone on the left wing side of the ice and beat Kuemper far side, glove side for the goal. Not to worry, Fiala again found the back of the net with a beautiful shot to double the lead for a second time. Coming on an offensive zone entry by Quinton Byfield, the 6-foot-5 center dished the puck off to Fiala and the Swiss forward ripped a shot bar in for his second goal of the game and 18th of the season. Byfield’s helper was his second of the game. The Hurricanes couldn’t overcome the two-goal deficit and the Kings were victorious 4-2 after 60 minutes of play.
Kuemper earned his 15th win of the season, stopping 26 shots on the night.