Hurricanes 4, Kings 3
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk scored two power-play goals -- his NHL-leading seventh and eighth with the man-advantage -- as the Hurricanes avoided a disastrous homestand with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday afternoon.
Carolina came into the game 0-1-3 at PNC Arena over the last 10 days, but was able to jump out to a three-goal lead early in the second period, chasing starting goalie Jonathan Quick after two periods and improving to 6-2-2 at home against the Kings.
Faulk's two goals extended his points streak to five games with a team-leading 15 points in 20 games coming off an All-Star year in which he scored 15 goals.
Los Angeles center Anze Kopitar pulled the Kings within one goal midway through the third with a power-play goal, but the Hurricanes were able to hold off the Kings despite spending the final 18.4 seconds shorthanded.
Carolina, which entered the game in last place in the Eastern Conference, scored four or more goals for just the second time this season and first since beating Detroit 5-3 on Oct. 16. It was also the first game Carolina scored two power-play goals.
Faulk, who now leads the team with eight goals -- all on the power play -- scored his seventh man-advantage goal, and left wing Jeff Skinner broke out of a scoring drought in the second period as the struggling Hurricanes jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Kings made it interesting.
The Hurricanes scored just their seventh first-period goal in 20 games 4:31 into the game when rookie defenseman Brett Pesce,
playing in his 13th game, beat Quick from inside the blue line with a fluttering puck that eluded the goalie's glove for his first NHL goal.
Later in the period, Carolina registered its first fighting major of the season when center Brad Malone took exception to a hit on left wing Nathan Gerbe by Los Angeles left wing Kyle Clifford. Gerbe was helped off the ice, unable to place any weight on his right leg and did not return.
Then, within a 2 1/2-minute stretch early in the second Skinner banked one in off the blocker of Quick from behind the goal line for his first point in six games, and Faulk blasted yet another man-advantage goal past an opposing goalie, this time during a 5-on-3 scenario.
The Pacific Division-leading Kings didn't fold, though, scoring twice within a 58-second span later in the period. Right wing Dustin Brown scored his second of the season when he was awarded a penalty shot after Carolina defenseman Noah Hanifin closed his hand on the puck in the crease. A turnover less than a minute later on an attempted clearing pass gave Kopitar a clear shot at goaltender Cam Ward for his sixth of the season, cutting the margin to 3-2.
However, Faulk was able to strike again with 2:14 left in the second when his shot from the right point trickled off Quick, into the goal crease and then off Los Angeles defenseman Alex Martinez.
NOTES: Carolina C Victor Rask played in his 100th game. ... Kings G Jonathan Quick beat the Hurricanes 3-0 a month ago and came into the game with a 1.38 goals-against average in five career appearances against Carolina. ... The Hurricanes started six American-born defensemen for the first time in franchise history in a Friday night shootout loss to Toronto and again against the Kings. ... Carolina D Ryan Murphy missed his third straight game with a concussion. ... The Kings are second in the NHL on the penalty kill and the Hurricanes last on the power play. ... Los Angeles D Drew Doughty has logged at least 23 minutes in all 20 games this season. ... The Kings are three games into a stretch in which they play 14 of 19 road games.