It was the last game before the All Star break, and both teams wanted to enter the weekend with as much momentum as they could muster.
Scratches for the Kings were Tom Gilbert, Nic Dowd, and Matt Greene. Dowd is still out with a lower body injury, while Greene is nursing a back injury. Scratches for the Hurricanes were Ryan Murphy, Ty Rattie, and Matt Tennyson.
Peter Budaj got the start in net for the Kings, while Cam Ward patrolled the crease for the Hurricanes. Ward was coming off a poor performance against the Washington Capitals a few days ago, giving up 6 goals on 25 shots.