The hottest team in the NHL will try to cool off another team that’s beginning to boil when the Carolina Hurricanes visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon.
The Hurricanes (42-22-4, 88 points) have won eight in a row for the second time this season and surrendered two goals or fewer in every game of their latest winning streak.
Carolina most recently opened its three-game California swing with a 3-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
“We’ve been doing a solid job every game, starting on time,” Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho said. “They’re different kinds of wins too. (Against the Sharks), we came back from being down after the first, and some of the other games were almost over after the first because we had been up a few goals. Really, it’s the two points that matter. We’re just trying to stack them up right now to make our way toward the playoffs.”
Carolina is comfortably locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division, 12 points behind the Washington Capitals and eight ahead of the New Jersey Devils with 14 games remaining.
“We just come in every day and try to get better,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Whether we’ve won eight in a row or not, it’s irrelevant. It’s 0-0 when we start the game. We try and win that game, that day, and that’s how we’ve approached it, always. That’s how we’re going to do it next game.”
Seth Jarvis comes in riding a six-game point streak (four goals, two assists) and fellow Carolina forward Taylor Hall has a four-game point streak (two goals, three assists).
Los Angeles enters the weekend two points behind the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers have owned home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs against Los Angeles the past three seasons and eliminated the Kings each time.
The Kings have 15 games remaining and the Oilers have 13, including two more regular-season matchups against Los Angeles.
The Kings (37-21-9, 83 points) have won six of their past seven games, most recently knocking off the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Thursday to split their two-game road trip.
“Six of seven, you’re not going to complain, right?” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “They’re close games. They take a lot of energy and mental stress, mental concentration. That’s what it’s going to be like in the playoffs, so hopefully we just continue that moving forward.”
Hiller has been impressed with the contributions of his fourth liners, Tanner Jeannot, Samuel Helenius and Alex Turcotte, who scored the second goal against the Blackhawks.
“We’ve talked about them quite often in the dressing room,” Hiller said. “They’ve set the tone for us. We talk about forechecking and getting in there, playing in the O-zone, that’s what they do. Another strong game for them and Turc got rewarded with the goal.”
The Kings beat the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., on Feb. 1, getting two goals from Kevin Fiala and a goal and an assist from Phillip Danault in the 4-2 victory.
Carolina has won the past four matchups in Los Angeles, however.
