The Kings got through 60 minutes of their 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames unscathed on Thursday night, the most important goal for a team bound for the playoffs and a Game 1 grudge match with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Kings goaltender David Rittich stopped 24 shots in the season finale at Crypto.com Arena, which was rescheduled from Jan. 8 because of the deadly wildfires. Taylor Ward skated in his first NHL game and for one of the six franchises his father Dixon played for in his career, and scored his first goal during a late power play as the Kings’ four-game winning streak ended with only their fifth loss in 22 games since the trade deadline.
The Kings will face Edmonton in a best-of-seven first-round playoff series for the fourth consecutive season – but with home-ice advantage for the first time. The Kings had the NHL’s best home record at 31-6-4.
Nazem Kadri continued to spearhead the Calgary attack with two goals, while captain Mikael Backlund contributed a goal and an assist. Dryden Hunt chipped in two assists. Dan Vladar had 30 saves. Four players made their NHL debut for Calgary on Thursday: Zayne Parekh, Sam Morton, Aydar Suniev and Hunter Brzustewicz, with Morton and Parekh both scoring in their auspicious beginnings.
The Kings remained at 31 home wins, a franchise record that tied them for the most in the NHL this season with the Carolina Hurricanes. They also stayed at 48 wins and 105 points, both of which tied franchise single-season records, from 2016 and 1975, respectively.
Ward was rewarded for his enthusiastic performance with some extra-man minutes and reciprocated with a follow-up to Jordan Spence’s one-timer. The Kings have scored at least one power-play goal in five straight games and are 8 for 24 during that stretch.
Calgary cashed in four times in a span of 5:30 in the third period, at 6:05, 7:28, 8:24 and 11:35.
Backlund challenged Drew Doughty – the Kings played their six regular defensemen but rested some players at every other position – and tucked a rising shot under the crossbar to make it 5-0.
Backlund had set up Parekh for a long shot through traffic for the 2024 lottery pick’s first ever goal.
Kadri potted his second goal of the game 83 seconds after Morton hit the score sheet. Hunt created a two-on-one rush with a savvy chip to himself off the wall. His saucer pass over a prone Mikey Anderson found Kadri for a one-timer. Kadri extended his single-season career high to 35 goals after depositing 15 goals in his past 23 games as the Flames fell just short of a postseason berth.
Another saucer pass from Hunt was the secondary assist on Morton’s goal, which came off a counterattack as well, after Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield couldn’t convert on an odd-man rush of their own.
Just 2:15 into the second period, Calgary put the game’s first goal on the board. The long reach of 6-foot-8 Adam Klapka disrupted the clearing attempt of his Czech countryman Rittich, extending Calgary’s possession. Kadri swooped in and scored off a wraparound shot that went over Rittich’s pad and inside the post for a short-side tally.
The Kings had another slow start to the first period but gained some momentum at the end and continued a pair of trends. They killed a penalty and another later in the match, leaving Calgary at 1 for its past 17 power plays on the road, and shut the Flames out through 20 minutes, their 19th no-goals-allowed first period in 22 games since the trade deadline.
More to come on this story.
Note: This report was compiled remotely.
Continue reading...
Kings goaltender David Rittich stopped 24 shots in the season finale at Crypto.com Arena, which was rescheduled from Jan. 8 because of the deadly wildfires. Taylor Ward skated in his first NHL game and for one of the six franchises his father Dixon played for in his career, and scored his first goal during a late power play as the Kings’ four-game winning streak ended with only their fifth loss in 22 games since the trade deadline.
The Kings will face Edmonton in a best-of-seven first-round playoff series for the fourth consecutive season – but with home-ice advantage for the first time. The Kings had the NHL’s best home record at 31-6-4.
Nazem Kadri continued to spearhead the Calgary attack with two goals, while captain Mikael Backlund contributed a goal and an assist. Dryden Hunt chipped in two assists. Dan Vladar had 30 saves. Four players made their NHL debut for Calgary on Thursday: Zayne Parekh, Sam Morton, Aydar Suniev and Hunter Brzustewicz, with Morton and Parekh both scoring in their auspicious beginnings.
The Kings remained at 31 home wins, a franchise record that tied them for the most in the NHL this season with the Carolina Hurricanes. They also stayed at 48 wins and 105 points, both of which tied franchise single-season records, from 2016 and 1975, respectively.
Ward was rewarded for his enthusiastic performance with some extra-man minutes and reciprocated with a follow-up to Jordan Spence’s one-timer. The Kings have scored at least one power-play goal in five straight games and are 8 for 24 during that stretch.
Calgary cashed in four times in a span of 5:30 in the third period, at 6:05, 7:28, 8:24 and 11:35.
Backlund challenged Drew Doughty – the Kings played their six regular defensemen but rested some players at every other position – and tucked a rising shot under the crossbar to make it 5-0.
Backlund had set up Parekh for a long shot through traffic for the 2024 lottery pick’s first ever goal.
Kadri potted his second goal of the game 83 seconds after Morton hit the score sheet. Hunt created a two-on-one rush with a savvy chip to himself off the wall. His saucer pass over a prone Mikey Anderson found Kadri for a one-timer. Kadri extended his single-season career high to 35 goals after depositing 15 goals in his past 23 games as the Flames fell just short of a postseason berth.
Another saucer pass from Hunt was the secondary assist on Morton’s goal, which came off a counterattack as well, after Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield couldn’t convert on an odd-man rush of their own.
Just 2:15 into the second period, Calgary put the game’s first goal on the board. The long reach of 6-foot-8 Adam Klapka disrupted the clearing attempt of his Czech countryman Rittich, extending Calgary’s possession. Kadri swooped in and scored off a wraparound shot that went over Rittich’s pad and inside the post for a short-side tally.
The Kings had another slow start to the first period but gained some momentum at the end and continued a pair of trends. They killed a penalty and another later in the match, leaving Calgary at 1 for its past 17 power plays on the road, and shut the Flames out through 20 minutes, their 19th no-goals-allowed first period in 22 games since the trade deadline.
More to come on this story.
Note: This report was compiled remotely.
Related Articles
- Kings to wrap up regular season against the Flames
- Kings hold off Kraken, tie franchise record with 48th win
- Kings’ Kevin Fiala, Ducks’ Radko Gudas up for King Clancy Memorial Trophy
- Nick Nickson, the ‘Voice of the Kings,’ going out on top after 44 seasons
- Kings rout Oilers, clinch home-ice advantage against them for playoffs
Continue reading...
