The Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings will play on a cold Sunday afternoon, with the game scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM EST. Temperatures are only anticipated to reach a high of 32° Fahrenheit, per WRAL, so those attending the game should remain cautious of icy conditions. I know, the irony of me warning you about ice when it comes to a game literally played on it. But seriously, be mindful of your travels to the arena – even if you want to frolic down the sidewalk as any sane individual would.
The Kings cannot get away from winter storms on their journey through the East Coast, it seems. On January 26th, their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets was rescheduled, and Sunday, they will be hosted by a frost-covered city just hit by a nor’easter.
However, this one – unlikely to be rescheduled – will be a test for both the Hurricanes and Kings.
In Anze Kopitar’s final season, the Kings are grasping onto the second wild card position – a shocking sight after four-straight seasons as one of the top three teams in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have struggled to play a full 60 minutes over the course of their past four games, all while the Pittsburgh Penguins – just five points behind – nip at their heels from second in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Both of their last games went to overtime, though with two different outcomes. The Hurricanes, in a rather bizarre game, fell 4-3 against the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, the Kings overcame the Philadelphia Flyers with a goal midway through the mini-frame courtesy of Quinton Byfield.
With both teams in the midst of a back-to-back set, it is to be assumed that the goalies will be different from their previous games.
Brandon Bussi, who has a save percentage of .906 and a goals against average of 2.22 across a 20-3-1 record, will likely get the nod for Carolina.
Meanwhile, Anton Forsberg, with a goals against average of 2.48 and a save percentage of .910 across a 9-6-4 record, is likely to start for Los Angeles.
Expected Carolina Hurricanes Lines
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin
Goaltenders
Brandon Bussi / Frederik Andersen
Expected Kings Lines
Trevor Moore – Anze Kopitar – Joel Armia
Corey Perry – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe
Kevin Fiala – Quinton Byfield – Andrei Kuzmenko
Jeff Malott – Samuel Helenius – Taylor Ward
Defense
Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
Goaltenders
Anton Forsberg / Darcy Kuemper
Special Teams
Carolina Hurricanes power play: 21.6% (12th, moved up one spot from the previous game)
Carolina Hurricanes penalty kill: 81.0% (11th, moved up one spot from the previous game)
Los Angeles Kings power play: 15.8% (29th)
Los Angeles Kings penalty kill: 77.3% (26th)
Hurricanes Game Notes
After a rough stretch of failing to play the full 60 minutes and a lackluster loss to the Capitals less than 24 hours before, there is a decent chance that head coach Rod Brind’Amour could shake up the lines to start Sunday’s game.
This will be the final meeting between the Hurricanes and Kings for the regular season, as well as what could be their final game against Kings legend Kopitar. Some teams have done something special in honor of it, so it may be something to keep an eye on.
Sunday’s game will be the first of the Hurricanes’ final three games before the Olympics, with Tuesday’s match with the Ottawa Senators being the ‘International Send-Off Game’.
How To Watch
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
