2025-26 Regular Season, Game 55 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Los Angeles Kings

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes watched another lead disappear, blowing a three-goal lead in an overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. The Canes jumped out to the lead late in the first period on an excellent effort from the fourth line. Jesperi Kotkaniemi's keep-in and William Carrier's pass set up Mark Jankowski to get the Canes on the board. In the final minutes, John Carlson mishandled a bouncing puck, giving Sebastian Aho a golden chance to double the lead, scoring his first goal in 12 games. Shayne Gostisbehere made it 3-0 early in the second period. His shot caught Clay Stevenson guessing, beating him with a silent wrister from along the boards. After Jankowski was a goal post away from making it 4-0, the Capitals got on the board. Hendrix Lapierre jumped on a rebound in the crease to break the goose egg. Late in the middle frame, Dylan Strome redirected a pass from Aliaksei Protas between Frederik Andersen's pads to shrink the deficit to one. In the third period, Jakob Chychrun tied it, sending the game to overtime. The Canes looked like a team completely lost during the 3-on-3, eventually losing it on Justin Sourdif's game-winning tap-in. The Capitals outshot the Canes 42-22 in the game as the Canes extended their point streak to seven games.

Injury Report
Eric Robinson: He's out with a shoulder injury through the break.

The Opponent: Los Angeles Kings (23-17-13, 59 Points; 4th in the Pacific Division)
Last Meeting: If you look at the script from Saturday's loss to Washington, it's a little similar to how the meeting between the Canes and the Kings went in October. The Canes jumped out to an immediate lead. Jordan Staal scored his 300th goal in the opening second, and he added his 301st before the 4-minute mark. Jesperi Kotkaniemi added a third goal early in the second, and the Canes appeared to be running away with it. Trevor Moore responded within a minute of Kotkaniemi's tally, and Andrei Kuzmenko scored on the power play late in the middle frame to make it a one-goal game. In the third, Kevin Fiala got the tying goal, sending the game to overtime. The big difference in the script comes in overtime. Seth Jarvis scored his second overtime goal of the season to earn the 4-3 win, completing a perfect trip to California.

Since We Last Met: The Pacific Division is a mess right now. While Edmonton and Vegas have a slight separation over the rest of the pack, it isn't much. The group behind them is nipping at their heels, and the Kings are in that mix. The teams at the top of the division have feasted on the loser point. Vegas leads the league with 14, and the Kings are second with 13. The Kings have been to overtime 22 times this season, leading the league. This includes their win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon. They've earned points in eight of their last ten games, keeping them five points out of first in the division while holding onto the second Wild Card spot. Their offense and defense are night and day. They're tied for the second fewest goals in the league (137), but they've allowed the third fewest (144), behind excellent work from Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg. Neither special teams unit is particularly good, ranking 29th on the power play and 26th on the penalty kill. Adrian Kempe scored twice against the Flyers to hit 20 goals, leading the team with 44 points. Kevin Fiala is the only other player on the roster with more than 30 points, though Quinton Byfield sits at 29 after scoring in overtime on Saturday. Much like Washington, the Canes will need to find a way to match the Kings' desperation. Hopefully, it means actually playing a complete game this time.

Stories to Watch
1. Flushing Saturday's loss on the quick turnaround
The back end of back-to-backs is a tough time for any team. Today features two teams that played more than 60 minutes on Saturday. Both blew leads, but only one got to celebrate a win to avoid a complete collapse. A lot of the burden will fall on Brandon Bussi and Anton Forsberg, the expected starters for their respective teams. Bussi has found ways to earn wins for the Hurricanes that they haven't necessarily earned. Forsberg is one of the stingiest goalies, and he has put together some good performances against the Canes in his career. The finish line is within sight for the Canes before the break. Now is not the time to phone it in. 

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