(Sports Network) - Though they are still waiting for Anze Kopitar to net his first goal of the season, the center's drought hasn't kept the Kings out of the win column.
Los Angeles seeks a fourth victory in five games to begin the season tonight when they play host to the Carolina Hurricanes at the Staples Center.
Coming off a 34-goal, 81-point season -- both career highs -- Kopitar has managed just three assists over the Kings' first four games. Still, Los Angeles has managed a total of nine goals from four different players while it waits for its playmaker to get hot.
Dustin Brown picked up the scoring slack on Friday, notching a pair of third- period goals in a 4-1 triumph over the Canucks. He leads the club with three tallies on the season.
"Going through a season there is definitely ups and downs," Brown said. "If we can consistently work hard over time then things are going to happen for you."
Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams also scored and Ryan Smyth notched a pair of assists for the Kings, who have won the first two games of a three-game homestand.
Jonathan Quick made 25 saves and has posted a perfect 3-0-0 mark and stellar 0.97 goals-against average so far this year, but Jonathan Bernier is expected to get the start tonight, his first career meeting with the Hurricanes.
Both Kopitar and Brown have a goal and two assists in their careers against Carolina.
After sweeping the Wild in Finland to start the season, the Hurricanes dropped the first two contests of a five-game swing before last night's 5-2 triumph over the Sharks. Five different players scored goals for the 'Canes, with Chad LaRose ending with a goal and two assists.
Eric Staal notched a short-handed goal in the first period and Erik Cole, Patrick Dwyer and Joni Pitkanen also scored for Carolina, while Cam Ward ended with 41 saves.
"I felt really good," said Ward, who is 1-0-1 with a 2.44 GAA in two career starts versus the Kings. "We had tremendous puck pursuit and our penalty kill was excellent."
Carolina, which ends its trip on Saturday in Phoenix, dropped a 5-2 decision at home versus Los Angeles last year in the only meeting between the clubs. Ward missed that meeting due to injury.
The Kings have won the last two meetings in this series and has taken four of the last five at home over the Hurricanes, who haven't won in the City of Angels since Feb. 13, 2007.