Kings Conclude Road Trip With Chance To Match Season-High Wins

Kopitar Returns, Doughty Reaches 700 Points As Kings Look To Finish Strong In Carolina

Feb. 1, 2026 at 8:55am

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The Los Angeles Kings have an opportunity to match their season-high for wins on a road trip as they conclude a five-game swing this afternoon in Carolina. Anze Kopitar returned to the lineup yesterday after missing time with a lower-body injury, while Drew Doughty recorded his 700th career point, becoming the first Kings defenseman to reach that milestone. The Kings will face a Hurricanes team that has points in 12 of their last 13 games, looking to end their road trip on a high note.

Why it matters

The Kings' road trip has been an important test for the team, and a chance to build momentum heading into the second half of the season. Matching their season-high for wins on the road would be a significant accomplishment, especially with key players like Kopitar returning to the lineup. Doughty's 700th point is also a historic milestone for the franchise, further cementing his legacy as one of the best defensemen to ever play for the Kings.

The details

The Kings are coming off a 4-3 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday, with Adrian Kempe scoring twice and assisting on the game-winning goal by Quinton Byfield. Kopitar, the Kings' captain, returned to the lineup after missing time with a lower-body injury, logging 16:39 of ice time and winning 10 of 14 faceoffs. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals and will be looking to bounce back at home.

  • The Kings and Hurricanes will face off on Sunday, February 1 at 12:00 PM Pacific time.
  • Doughty recorded his 700th career point in the Kings' win over the Flyers yesterday.

The players

Anze Kopitar

The Kings' captain, who returned to the lineup yesterday after missing time with a lower-body injury.

Drew Doughty

The Kings' defenseman, who became the first in franchise history to reach 700 career points.

Adrian Kempe

The Kings' forward, who scored twice and added an assist in the team's overtime win against the Flyers, extending his point streak to six games.

Quinton Byfield

The Kings' forward, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Flyers.

Jordan Staal

The Hurricanes' captain, who scored two goals in the team's 4-3 overtime loss to the Capitals.

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What they’re saying

“There's always the first game where you try to find the rhythm, find the timing of it. It doesn't really matter how hard you're skating, you bag yourself, put in game situations, it's a lot different. I think [last night] was pretty good, obviously a big win for the team and we'll go build from there.”

— Anze Kopitar, Kings Captain

“Everybody knew the situation, so when the goal went in that ended up coming back, the bench was really excited for Drew, everybody was. It was, not a letdown to take it off the board, but everybody felt bad for Drew. In the end, he took a pretty good hit on that play, so this one probably has got a little bit better memory of the goal, of the assist, on an overtime winner.”

— Jim Hiller, Kings Assistant Coach

“Well, let's hope so, I thought that line has been dangerous. I know you mentioned Juice has scored, there's been some power plays in there too, but I thought they were dangerous, they have been. That's why, in bringing Kopi back, we didn't want to disrupt that line, get Kopi a chance to get his legs under him a little bit. I think Perry and Laferriere compliment him well. Laf is skating through the middle, Perrs strong in the o-zone, found him on that on the second goal. Good to see.”

— Jim Hiller, Kings Assistant Coach

What’s next

The Kings will return home after today's game, while the Hurricanes will continue their homestand with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

The takeaway

The Kings have an opportunity to cap off a successful road trip with a win against the Hurricanes, which would match their season-high for wins on the road. Kopitar's return and Doughty's historic milestone have provided a boost to the team, as they look to build momentum heading into the second half of the season.