Not only will the Los Angeles Kings be without their captain for the second consecutive game when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night, but they’ll be without him for an extended period of time.
It was announced Thursday that Anze Kopitar is listed as week-to-week with a foot injury.
Kopitar, 38, missed the Kings’ 4-2 home loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night after taking a puck to the foot against the Minnesota Wild on Monday.
Kopitar, who has four assists in four games, announced that this season would be his last in September.
Phillip Danault is projected to replace Kopitar as the first-line center between Andre Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe.
Starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper also missed the loss to the Penguins and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Anton Forsberg made 22 saves in the loss to the Penguins, which was Los Angeles’ third straight defeat (0-2-1 during that stretch).
“We’re in a hole,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said postgame. “We’re in a funk. There’s no question.”
Los Angeles blew a 2-0 first-period lead that was provided by goals from Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala.
Pittsburgh’s first goal was a power-play effort, while the go-ahead goal, rookie Filip Hallander’s first NHL tally, came short-handed to break a 2-2 tie 6:50 into the third period.
“We haven’t won the special teams battle yet this season,” Hiller said. “That’s an important part of any hockey game, is the special teams battle. Hard to win if you don’t win the special teams battle, so that’s the one (area that was most disappointing).”
Both Kings’ goals were at even strength.
The Hurricanes are the NHL’s last unbeaten team at 4-0-0 after their 4-1 win over the Ducks in Anaheim on Thursday night.
Seth Jarvis had two goals and an assist, Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist, rookie Alexander Nikishin scored his first NHL goal and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere had three assists for the Hurricanes.
Frederik Andersen made 23 saves.
“They all count the same this time of year,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You’ve got to get off to a good start, which we have, so it’s nice to get those points in the bank.”
The Hurricanes forced the Ducks into several turnovers.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen better sticks in a game,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said of the Hurricanes. “I don’t know how many times they took the puck away from us clean and neatly and turned it into something, but that was a relentless performance on how to play with your stick.”
Nikishin has a four-game point streak (a goal and three assists) to start the season.
“He’s kind of scratching the surface,” Brind’Amour said. “There’s a lot of raw ability there. That was a big goal. It kind of put the game away.”
Nikishin’s goal gave Carolina a 3-1 lead 2:38 into the third period.
Jarvis (five goals and two assists for seven points), Gostisbehere (1-6-7), Aho (1-5-6) and Jackson Blake (1-3-4) also extended their point streaks to four games.
Jarvis’ first goal Thursday was the 100th of his career.
–Field Level Media
