Hurricanes beat Kings 6-1, Faulk and Ferland injured

Dominating offensive finish clouded by injuries during and after game

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

Peter Koutroumpis

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

RALEIGH, N.C. –  The final score read 6-1 following the Carolina Hurricanes’ dominating finish over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

However, the body count was minus-two during the game as defenseman Justin Faulk and forward Micheal Ferland didn’t return to play due to upper-body injuries sustained during the second period.

What should have been a jubilant dressing room following the offensive output led by defenseman Dougie Hamilton’s two goals along with singles from Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Ferland, and Jaccob Slavin was an afterthought.

Teravainen led all scorers with four points while recently-returned Jordan Staal tallied three assists – more reasons to smile.

However, the ironic drama of it all was seeing the concerned looks on players’ faces as defenseman Calvin de Haan was helped away, walking slowly, from the weight room area as media members entered the room for postgame comments.

When asked what had happened, head coach Rod Brind’Amour paused briefly and said, “there’s a bunch of things goin’ on right now. It’s one of those nights. We’ll know more tomorrow.”

Boxscore: Carolina 6, Los Angeles 1

No cheering, no singing

It should have been a celebration of the team’s third win in its last four at home and eighth win in its last 10 that vaulted Carolina into third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Goaltender Petr Mrazek had another stellar outing, stopping 22 of 23 shots he faced for his third straight win in as many starts.

Only LA’s Dustin Brown denied him of his fourth shutout of the season when he snuck the puck under his stick-side arm with 7:58 remaining.

But the feeling wasn’t like any other game following the performance of another crowd-pleasing Storm Surge celebration following a victory.

The grueling affair on the ice during regulation time got physical and chippy in the dying minutes, and in certain instances, downright dirty with the embarrassed Kings instigating unnecessary conflicts.

“We expected it,” Hamilton said after becoming a part of an encounter with the Kings’ Kyle Clifford before both were assessed misconducts.

“They were obviously going to play that way. Same in my situation, I’d probably do the same as what they were doin’; so we understood it, we stuck together, and that’s basically it.”

Playoff push bears weight

With the room heavy in reflection and immersed in physical recovery following a battle, the concern for fallen men was high.

“We know we need everybody here to be successful,” Brind’Amour said.

“Everybody’s so important to our group. Again, it was a good effort, a good win. Now we’ll see tomorrow how we’ll assess everything and then move forward.”

The start of things to come for the remainder of the season is upon th Hurricanes.

A playoff spot will not be given to this team.

It will be earned, and if the night’s events were a precursor, in some of the hardest of ways.

Peter Koutroumpis: 401-323-8960, @pksport