Kings score 7, end Hurricanes winning streak at 8 

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Kings ended the Carolina Hurricanes’ eight-game winning streak with a 7-2 victory at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

“We seem to rise to that level when we’re pressed to do it, and that’s when we’re at our best,” Los Angeles head coach Jim Hiller said.

Andrei Kuzmenko, Anze Kopitar, Tanner Jeannot, Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (38-21-9), who have won five straight on home ice as part of a franchise record-tying 13-game home point streak (10-0-3). David Rittich made 34 saves.

Los Angeles scored seven goals for the third time this season, having lost 8-7 in overtime at the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 14 and won 7-3 at the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 19.

“We’ve had nights where we just haven’t scored much, as you know,” Hiller said. “Tonight was one of those nights where it seemed like we got a little bit of that luck or a little bit of that randomness that we had been missing over the course of the season on our side tonight, and you hope that it happens like that. We’ll take a few more nights like that.”

The Kings are in third place in the Pacific Division with 85 points, two behind the Edmonton Oilers. The Vegas Golden Knights lead the division with 90 points.

Dmitry Orlov and Mark Jankowski scored, and Pyotr Kochetkov made 18 saves for the Hurricanes (42-23-4), who did not have center Jordan Staal (lower-body injury) and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (illness). Carolina is in second place in the Metropolitan Division, eight points ahead of the New Jersey Devils.

“Sometimes it happens in hockey," Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “They made some nice plays and then made some great shots from their chances early and then the game gets out of hand.”

The Kings went up 1-0 at 3:03 of the first period on Adrian Kempe’s 29th goal of the season. He scored off the rush with a wrist shot from the right circle.

Kopitar made it 2-0 on the power play at 14:39 when his sharp-angle centering pass went in off Jordan Martinook’s left skate. Kuzmenko had the primary assist, his first point for the Kings since he was acquired in a trade with the Flyers on March 7.

Kuzmenko then extended Los Angeles’ lead to 3-0 at 19:55 on a wrist shot from the right circle off the rush.

“He’d been close, and it sounds good, you know, the coaches tell you good job, you’re close, don’t worry about it. But it’s sure a heck of a lot better to actually score one and get an assist and actually get on the board, so hopefully a springboard for not only him but I think that line (of Kuzmenko, Kopitar and Kempe),” Hiller said.

Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho said Kuzmenko’s goal effectively put the game out of reach.

“Obviously, the game’s over there,” Aho said. “Three-nothing, it’s tough to come back. Gave up too much.”

Trevor Moore made it 4-0 at 5:58 of the second period with a wrist shot from the high slot through traffic.

Jeannot pushed it to 5-0 at 6:49 on a one-timer from the right circle through traffic set up by Alex Turcotte.

Byfield made it 6-0 at 8:41. Carolina couldn’t clear the rebound of his initial shot, and Fiala found him for a one-timer from a tight angle below the right circle.

“Just gave up too much scoring chances for them, and, obviously, they make us pay,” Aho said.

Orlov cut it to 6-1 at 14:17 with a slap shot from the blue line.

Fiala made it 7-1 with a one-timer on the rush off a drop pass from Alex Laferriere at 18:03 of the third period, before Mark Jankowski scored eight seconds later for the 7-2 final.

Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis did not return after sustaining an apparent injury when he was pulled down on a short-handed rush by Warren Foegele before crashing hard into the boards 1:36 into the third period.

Brind’Amour did not share specifics as to the nature of the injury but expressed relief after seeing Jarvis following the game.

“I think he looks actually all right, but I don’t want to say that because you never know when they wake up the next day,” Brind’Amour said. “But I think we avoided the worst and move on.”

NOTES: Kopitar got his 124th career power-play goal, breaking a tie with Dave Taylor (123) for third in Kings history. … Kopitar had multiple points in the same period for the 150th time in his NHL career. That ranks third among active players behind Alex Ovechkin (200) and Evgeni Malkin (181).