LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Carolina Hurricanes needed the two points more than the Los Angeles Kings did, and played like it.

Gary Roberts broke open a tie game with two goals and Sami Kapanen had a goal and two assists Thursday night as the Hurricanes beat the Kings 5-2 in their only meeting of the season.

"We're fighting like cats and dogs right now trying to make the playoffs," Roberts said. "We're in a fight with half a dozen teams in our conference for two spots. So it's going to be a grind right down to the end."

Roberts also assisted on Rod Brind'Amour's empty-net goal in the final minute. Martin Gelinas scored on a power play and Arturs Irbe made 30 saves, helping Carolina win for the fifth time in seven road games.

The victory put the Hurricanes within two points of the New York Rangers for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth -- with 17 games remaining for each team. But they also trail Buffalo and Montreal by a point.

"We needed to get this win," Kapanen said. "We had a had first two periods last night against Phoenix, and it was huge for this team to bounce back like this."

Luc Robitaille of the Kings extended the NHL's longest point-scoring streak of the season to 15 games with his 33rd goal -- and 34th in 36 career games against the Carolina-Hartford franchise. Glen Murray added a power play goal with 1:57 remaining for Los Angeles.

Just seconds after referee Kerry Fraser failed to call a penalty against Carolina's Jeff O'Neill for whacking Murray in the back with his stick, Kings defenseman Garry Galley was called for holding. The penalty gave the Hurricanes a two-man advantage which they converted, after just six seconds, to take a 2-1 lead.

Roberts scored on a rebound from the edge of the crease at 14:19 of the second period after Stephane Fiset stopped Sean Hill's slap shot.

Then Roberts, playing his second game after missing the previous seven because of a groin strain, scored his 14th goal just 25 seconds into the third period to match his total of last season.

Gelinas made it 4-1 with his 13th goal, scoring off Ron Francis' centering pass with 12:51 to play and 44 seconds left in a four-minute high-sticking penalty to Kings captain Rob Blake.

"We gave them the game," Robitaille said. "We didn't have good team discipline tonight. We obviously took too many penalties and we have to be more disciplined in the way we play our game. We just have to get back to basics."

Carolina managed only two shots during the game's first 7:32, but the second was a 25-foot wrist shot from the slot by Kapanen that gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead. Brind'Amour's pass from the left corner set up Kapanen's team-leading 21st goal, which ended a nine-game goal drought.

The Kings scored the tying goal just three seconds after O'Neill left the penalty box when Robitaille one-timed a cross-ice pass from Jozef Stumpel for his 550th career goal.

Robitaille's career-best point-scoring streak is one game longer than that of Calgary's Jarome Iginla -- whose stretch is also current.