Kochetkov pounded, Aho shut down, and more: 3 reasons why Carolina Hurricanes lost 7-2 to LA Kings

The Carolina Hurricanes were on the wrong side of a 7-2 shellacking at the hands of the LA Kings on Saturday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena. The loss snapped the Hurricanes’ eight-game winning streak, while the Kings swept the season series.

Adrian Kempre, Anze Kopitar (power-play goal), Andrei Kuzmenko, Trevor Moore, Tanner Jeannot, Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield scored for the Kings. Meanwhile, Dmitry Orlov and Mark Jankowski replied for the Hurricanes.

Here’s a look at three key reasons why the Hurricanes lost 7-2 to the Kings on Saturday afternoon.

3 reasons why Carolina Hurricanes lost to LA Kings

#1. Dreadful 40 minutes

The Carolina Hurricanes played a largely underwhelming first 40 minutes. Carolina gave up three goals in each of the first two periods, putting itself in a 6-0 hole it couldn’t climb out of.

The Hurricanes managed to get on the board late in the second after Orlov made it 6-1 with his fifth goal of the season. Beyond that, they were unable to muster any consistent offense. While the Hurricanes played a much better third period, the Kings added one more goal to punctuate the rout.

#2. Aho shut down

Carolina Hurricanes top-line center Sebastian Aho was a nonfactor in the loss. Aho played 16:36 over 16 shifts and finished even in plus-minus but failed to generate a shot on goal.

Other top scorers, like Seth Jarvis, also struggled to generate offense, while role players like Taylor Hall and Jesperi Kotkaniemi were largely quiet. However, rookie Logan Stankoven was a bright spot, notching two assists

#3. Kotchetkov pounded

Canes starting goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov was on the receiving end of the Kings’ onslaught, surrendering seven goals on 25 shots in his worst performance of the season.

Surprisingly, Kochetkov wasn’t pulled after the Kings made it 6-0 midway through the second period. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour left him in to finish the game, likely because Carolina was playing back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday.

Brind’Amour appeared to opt for resting Frederik Andersen for Sunday’s clash against the Anaheim Ducks rather than burning him in a lost cause.

The Hurricanes will continue their West Coast swing on Sunday evening, taking on the Ducks at Honda Center.