Kings extend Hurricanes’ winless streak to 13

By JOEDY McCREARY, AP Sports Writer Nov 11, 10:29 pm EST

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)—Leave it to the new guy to show the Los Angeles Kings how to finish.

Randy Jones(notes) had a goal and an assist in his debut with the Kings, and Los Angeles beat Carolina 5-2 on Wednesday night to extend the Hurricanes’ winless streak to 13.

Wayne Simmonds(notes), former Hurricane Justin Williams(notes) and Ryan Smyth(notes) each added a goal and an assist, Jarret Stoll(notes) also scored and Anze Kopitar(notes) had two assists to give him an NHL-leading 30 points.

The Kings, who allowed three unanswered third-period goals in a 4-1 loss at Chicago two nights earlier, snapped their two-game slide by reeling off three straight goals in the final 20 minutes.

Tuomo Ruutu(notes) scored twice for Carolina, tying it 2-all with just under 16 minutes remaining on a snap shot from the left circle. Roughly 2 1/2 minutes later, Jones took a pretty across-the-goal feed from Williams and tapped it past Manny Legace(notes) to put the Kings ahead to stay.

“I was just trying to get to the net and give (Williams) an outlet pass,” said Jones, who was claimed off waivers from Philadelphia on Oct. 29 and didn’t dress for the Kings’ previous five games. “The guy’s got great vision.”

For Carolina, it was yet another excruciating loss in a season already full of them. Playing their first full game without injured franchise goalie Cam Ward(notes), the Hurricanes recovered after going more than 18 minutes between shots on goal, but were held to fewer than three goals for the eighth consecutive game and dropped their seventh straight in regulation.

“We have to fight like the last 20 minutes for 60 (minutes), and then harder, and then some,” coach Paul Maurice said. “We’re just not willing or seem like (the players) fully appreciate, when you’re undermanned, exactly how hard you have to fight.”

The Hurricanes (0-10-3 in their last 13) equaled the worst start in franchise history with seven points in 17 games. They’re on their longest slide since relocating to North Carolina and are one winless game from matching the club record of 14 straight (0-8-6) set in 1992 when they were in Hartford.

Backup goalie Erik Ersberg(notes) had 22 saves in his second start and first appearance in nearly a month for the Kings.

“I played one game all season—so it was easy to keep track,” Ersberg said with a smile. “I don’t count more backwards than that.”

Legace stopped 26 shots in his first start with Carolina. He was playing for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves when the Hurricanes signed him two days earlier to replace Ward, who will miss about four weeks after suffering a deep cut to his left leg in last week’s loss at Columbus.

“I just didn’t make a big save in the third period to give our guys a chance to win,” Legace said.

It didn’t take the Kings long to welcome the veteran goalie back to the NHL — or to put the Hurricanes in yet another deficit.

He made it 1-0 about 3 1/2 minutes in by backhanding the rebound of Brown’s shot past a sprawled Legace and into an uncovered net for his ninth goal. It was the quickest goal allowed by Carolina this year.

“We were aware of (the Hurricanes’ losing streak), but we had our own pressure on ourselves to get off our two-game skid,” Kings captain Dustin Brown(notes) said. “It was about getting back to playing well.”

NOTES: Kings RW Alexander Frolov(notes) had two assists. … Los Angeles won in Raleigh for the first time since 2001. … Kopitar, who had the second assist on both the Kings’ first and last goals, has points in 16 of 19 games. … Carolina D Joni Pitkanen(notes) (illness) was scratched. … Carolina’s two young cornerstones, injured C Eric Staal(notes) and Ward, were simultaneously out of the lineup for the first time since March 19, 2004.

Updated Nov 11, 10:29 pm EST
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28 Comments

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  1. steve h
    28. Posted by steve h Fri Nov 13 9:19pm EST

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    Team lucky has no more luck... poor Canes lol
  2. DON_DOC_IN
    27. Posted by DON_DOC_IN Thu Nov 12 4:16pm EST

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    Thanks Dutch! Yes, I should have been more precise. He played for the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL when he was a first round pick of the Flyers! Sorry if I made him sound as old as Ron Francis....................
  3. Dutch
    26. Posted by Dutch Thu Nov 12 2:37pm EST

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    For those of you scratching your heads on my good friend Doc's post (#23) the Whalers are a Minor League club in Michigan, NOT the Hartford Whalers of old...Justin Williams isn't that old!
  4. El hombre
    25. Posted by El hombre Thu Nov 12 12:58pm EST

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    soon they couldn't give away free tickets
  5. Mike
    24. Posted by Mike Thu Nov 12 9:42am EST

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    The difference between this bad 'Canes start and the bad Whalers start is the uniforms. You can be terrible if you are wearing green.
  6. DON_DOC_IN
    23. Posted by DON_DOC_IN Thu Nov 12 8:47am EST

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    Nice to see Justin Williams healthy again. Love when former Whalers do well..................
  7. wtfk
    22. Posted by wtfk Thu Nov 12 5:22am EST

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    In all honesty, it would really suck to be where the Canes are right now. No team in the league is going to stand for being the team that loses to them, and that actually makes them a much better team than you might expect. Legacy certainly didn't make the difference--even up against Ersberg, though the Canes tried to get the best spark they could out of him with Ward out. Now that the Kings don't have to worry about them, I wish them the best.

    As for the Kings, they did beat a team they were supposed to beat, but it wasn't as easy as you might hope, and you might wonder how it would have come out if they had to face Ward. Still, 2 points feels nice after failing to pick them up in the last couple games--especially the stinker at home. Now they have to get their heads screwed back on and ready for The ATL Friday, and Tampa Saturday. Let's hope EE got the rust out and stands on his head against whichever team he plays, and that Quicker responds positively to the rest and the opportunity to work with Ranford.
  8. Mike
    21. Posted by Mike Thu Nov 12 2:04am EST

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    It's good to win the games that you are SUPPOSED to win. Go Kings Go!
  9. PJG.
    20. Posted by PJG. Thu Nov 12 12:53am EST

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    Let's get another streak started. Go Kings!
  10. the critic
    19. Posted by the critic Thu Nov 12 12:39am EST

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    Nice game Kings... Ersberg and wayne simmonds nice job.. Love my Kings...
  11. kingfanboucher
    18. Posted by kingfanboucher Thu Nov 12 12:38am EST

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    It is so great to see the Kings scoring in the 3rd this year, finally.. Great job guys!
  12. DGravy
    17. Posted by DGravy Thu Nov 12 12:33am EST

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    Poster # 1, I almost don't want to dignify your comments because of your alias and your downright negativity, but I have to ask...if you think Raleigh is a s--thole, what do you think of Durham? I'm guessing you've never been to this area in your life and your opinion is based on internet research and your biased opinion. If you don't like the fact that the Canes didn't sell out games 3 and 4 against Jersey then might I suggest you buy the team from Mr. Karmanos and move the team to wherever you want.
  13. teachher
    16. Posted by teachher Thu Nov 12 12:30am EST

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    good to have the Kings get off their short losing streak. even at the expense of the 'canes. 2 points is two points. just ask the Sharks when they beat Pittsburgh last Sat. They didn't give back those 2 points, did they? Oh wells, 24 points for the Kings on their way to 100. 92 would mean the playoffs. That would be the first time the Kings makes the playoffs in a long time. I know it's early but hey, when you don't make the playoffs in over 5 years, it's always good to be hoping...
  14. California KID
    15. Posted by California KID Wed Nov 11 11:26pm EST

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    come on hurricanes
  15. Player X
    14. Posted by Player X Wed Nov 11 11:18pm EST

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    It was about the Kings, not the Canes. Actually, the Hurries skated like they need canes to walk.

    Kings win when they play their game. Superyoung team, still inconsistent, but when they are "on" they can play with anybody. Get used to it NHL, the Kings are moving up.
  16. Kanay D
    13. Posted by Kanay D Wed Nov 11 11:05pm EST

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    Well luckily for the Canes they play NYI next...maybe this will be their lucky break. If they lose that one too I'd say it's time for a shakeup.
  17. Dan G
    12. Posted by Dan G Wed Nov 11 10:50pm EST

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    80 dollars? Can't you get canes season tickets for that price?
  18. zenbusker
    11. Posted by zenbusker Wed Nov 11 10:37pm EST

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    hey canes management: it's not the goalie! give paul maurice the boot and maybe you'll win some games...
  19. Erik T
    10. Posted by Erik T Wed Nov 11 10:15pm EST

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    Another waste of 2 1/2 hours and 80 dollars, I could have been doing something productive like playing Modern Warfare 2...

    Time to hibernate!
  20. mark
    9. Posted by mark Wed Nov 11 10:12pm EST

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    Cory, please get a life.
  21. wade
    8. Posted by wade Wed Nov 11 10:11pm EST

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    Go hurricanes bring home the cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  22. Brian W
    7. Posted by Brian W Wed Nov 11 10:04pm EST

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    wow, carolina blows lol
  23. Dutch
    6. Posted by Dutch Wed Nov 11 9:40pm EST

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    Nice win Kings. Wow are the Canes ever struggling! Thank you to the philadelphia flyers for throwing Randy Jones under the bus, he's a good addition to the Kings! Go Kings Go! Keep up the momentum.
  24. robert l
    5. Posted by robert l Wed Nov 11 5:45pm EST

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    Move the Canes back to Hartford. One of the best jersey's of all time is the old Whaler jersey. Legace vs. Ersberg tonight might turn out to be high scoring. Hopefully Kopitar will extend his league lead in points. Go Kings Go !!!
  25. Kyle
    4. Posted by Kyle Wed Nov 11 1:21pm EST

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    You idiots should know that not only did we sell out game 7 of the cup, but also not one fan was sitting down during the course of the game.
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Three Stars

  Three Stars
R. Jones
 		Randy Jones
Kings - D
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
T. Ruutu
 		Tuomo Ruutu
Hurricanes - RW
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
J. Williams
 		Justin Williams
Kings - RW
Goals: 1
Assists: 1

Goaltending

Goalie Team Shot Save
Erik Ersberg LA 24 22
Manny Legace Car 30 26

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