Carolina Hurricanes at Los Angeles Kings: Preview, Notes, Lines, How to Watch

Carolina Hurricanes (10-10-6) at Los Angeles Kings (13-10-2)
Thursday, December 8, 2016 - 10:30 PM
Staples Center - Los Angeles, California
Fox Sports Carolinas, 99.9 The Fan, WRALSportsFanApp
Rival SB Nation Blog – Jewels From The Crown

Vital Statistics

Game Notes

• The Canes had one of their worst collapses in a season full of them last night against the Ducks in a 6-5 shootout loss and look to rebound tonight against the Kings. After making the short 45 minute bus trip to LA, the Hurricanes will try to correct their road woes in their only visit to Staples Center this year.
• Cam Ward played less than stellar versus the Ducks, and in a back to back situation Michael Leighton (1-1-0) may get the call in goal tonight.
• The Hurricanes broke their norm and hammered out 5 goals against the Ducks, including two from Teuvo Teravainen and one from Sebastian Aho for the first time in six games. We’ll see tonight if the Canes have turned the corner and broken out of their offensive slump, or if last night was the anomaly.
• The Kings enter the game winners of 6 of 8 while Carolina has lost 6 of its last 8 games. The Hurricanes have also lost 6 straight on the road and haven’t won at Staples since December 8, 2005 - more than eleven years ago.
• LA ranks 27^th on the PP and 20^th in goals scored in the NHL while Carolina has the 12^th best PP but ranks 25^th in goals for.
• Teravainen’s two goals last night in Anaheim could potentially be exactly what the doctor ordered for him. Like the rest of the team, Teravainen had been struggling to find his offensive game, as had Aho, who apparently only needed an article written about him on this website to get back on the scoresheet.
• The Hurricanes are led by Jeff Skinner with 21 points, including an assist last night, but he has been without a goal in five straight games. Maybe tonight is the night inside the building where he scored his first NHL goal six years ago.
• Tonight is the first of two matchups for the Hurricanes and Kings. This is Carolina’s only visit to the land of movie stars this year while the Kings will visit Raleigh on January 26^th.

Lines and Rosters

Hurricanes

The Canes did not hold a morning skate because of the back-to-back, but here are how the lines ended up last night (reflecting the expected swap of Ward for Leighton):

Jeff Skinner - Victor Rask - Phil Di Giuseppe
Sebastian Aho - Teuvo Teravainen - Lee Stempniak
Brock McGinn - Derek Ryan - Andrej Nestrasil
Joakim Nordstrom - Jay McClement - Viktor Stalberg

Ron Hainsey - Justin Faulk
Jaccob Slavin - Brett Pesce
Noah Hanifin - Matt Tennyson

Michael Leighton
Cam Ward

Injuries and Scratches: Bryan Bickell (IR multiple sclerosis), Jordan Staal (IR concussion), Eddie Lack (IR concussion), Ryan Murphy (healthy), Klas Dahlbeck (conditioning stint), Elias Lindholm (lower body)

Kings

The Kings last played Sunday afternoon in a 5-4 loss to the Canadiens. Here’s how they lined up at practice yesterday (via LA Kings Insider):

Marian Gaborik - Anze Kopitar - Trevor Lewis
Tanner Pearson - Jeff Carter - Tyler Toffoli
Dwight King - Nic Dowd - Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford - Nick Shore - Jordan Nolan

Derek Forbort – Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin – Alec Martinez
Kevin Gravel – Matt Greene

Peter Budaj
Jeff Zatkoff

Injuries and Scratches: Jonathan Quick (groin), Brayden McNabb (upper body).