Hurricanes @ Kings

Who will WIN this matchup?

Carolina Hurricanes (5-1-0)

@ Los Angeles Kings (2-3-0)

Starting Goalies:

Petr Mrazek (CAR): Likely

Jack Campbell (LAK): Likely

Current odds:

Carolina Hurricanes: (-165)

Los Angeles Kings: (+145)

• The Carolina Hurricanes saw their franchise-best, season-opening five-game winning streak come to a halt in the latter half of a back-to-back set of games over the weekend. The Hurricanes aim to avenge that setback on Tuesday when they begin a four-game road trip with the opener of another back-to-back set, beginning with a tilt against the Los Angeles Kings.”We weren’t ready. We didn’t mentally prepare properly, I think, as a group for that kind of game and we got what we deserved, in my opinion,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said of his team’s 3-2 setback versus Columbus on Saturday. The Hurricanes haven’t fared well in their last two trips to the Golden State, losing both games at the Staples Center against the Kings and five of six to the California contingent.

• Los Angeles will need a better performance out of its penalty kill if it wishes to hand Carolina its second consecutive loss. “It was obviously a horrendous night for that unit, and it needs work. Individuals need work, the system needs work,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said after the club surrendered three power-play goals in a 5-2 setback to Vegas on Sunday.

• Carolina’s Erik Haula is showing no ill effects of the heel injury that cut short his last season with Vegas, as the 28-year-old Finn is the third player (Al Sims, 1980-81; Jeff Skinner, 2017-18) in franchise history to score at least five goals in the team’s first six games of a season. Haula isn’t alone in streaking, as Dougie Hamilton has tallied in a career-best four consecutive contests while fellow defenseman Jaccob Slavin has collected a point in five straight games (two goals, three assists). Like Slavin, Martin Necas is also in the midst of a three-game assist streak while Ryan Dzingel has scored two goals and set up two more over his last four contests.

• Jonathan Quick’s season couldn’t be off to a rockier start, as the 33-year-old has surrendered at least five goals in all three starts and 19 total on 92 shots (.793 save percentage) in lopsided losses to Edmonton, Vancouver and Vegas. “When you’re the goaltender, when you’re the pitcher, when you’re the quarterback, all eyes are on you. It’s as simple as that,” McLellan said of Quick, who has yielded five goals in five of his last seven starts dating to last season. “He’s the last line of defense for our mistakes, and we made our share of them.” McLellan hasn’t divulged if Jack Campbell will get the nod over Quick, who posted his second career shutout of Carolina on Dec. 2 after turning aside all 34 shots he faced in a 2-0 win.

• Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar is riding a season-long five-game point streak (two goals, six assists).

• Carolina RW Andrei Svechnikov was held off the scoresheet versus Columbus, snapping a season-opening four-game string of multi-point performances.

• Kings RW Dustin Brown has collected two goals and two assists in his last two games.