LOS ANGELES — The Kings are headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third straight year after clinching a spot with a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
They had the opportunity to seal up a postseason berth against the Ducks on Tuesday but stumbled 3-1, leaving their moment of relief for Game No. 79 of the 82-game campaign. When they won the only Stanley Cup titles in the franchise’s 57-year history, in 2012 and 2014, they clinched in Games No. 81 and No. 77, respectively. In 2014, they had a similarly businesslike 4-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes to advance beyond the regular season.
“It feels good. It wasn’t an easy game and, with the game we showed in Anaheim, we weren’t very pleased, so tonight was kind of a redemption,” captain Anze Kopitar said. “I thought for the most part we did a pretty good job and, essentially, got the job done.”
The Kings are three points clear of the Vegas Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division, and although Vegas has a game in hand, the defending champs just lost three straight. That kept the Kings on a collision course with the Edmonton Oilers, who pummeled Vegas, 5-1, on Wednesday without their captain Connor McDavid, who was dealing with a minor injury.
“(Making the playoffs) was our goal starting training camp, so one step at a time, and I think we did a good job in the regular season to get to this point,” said the Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson, who doubled his goal total for the season with a pair on Thursday. “I don’t think seeding matters in the playoffs, if I’m honest. I came in (with) Nashville. We were the last team in, the last game of the season, and we went to the (Stanley Cup) finals. I don’t think it matters. It depends on the group and how you tackle the games moving forward.”
Kevin Fiala and Akil Thomas also scored as the Kings opened a four-game homestand to end the regular season under interim coach Jim Hiller. Kopitar contributed two assists to the cause of Cam Talbot, who had 22 saves in the team’s fourth win in the past five games. Fiala’s 30th power-play point gave him the most for a King since Kopitar’s 38 in 2009-10.
Jonathan Huberdeau tallied for Calgary and Jacob Markstrom made 26 of 29 saves.
The Kings got the ball rolling 6:48 into the game, by winning an offensive zone draw and summarily cashing in on the game’s first power play. Adrian Kempe’s one-timer from the right circle went wide where it was collected by Arvidsson. He settled the puck to dish it back to Kempe, who sent it to Kopitar, who found Fiala atop the left circle for a laser he sent through Arvidsson’s formidable screen, his 28th goal of the season.
“He’s a double or triple threat. He can pass and shoot, and he’s not afraid to get in front of the goaltender, as you saw tonight,” Hiller said of Arvidsson. “I don’t think he got an assist on that play but that was just as valuable as anything else during that sequence on the goal.”
Fifty-four seconds into the second period, Arvidsson did better than picking up a point as he scored a goal to make it 2-0. Another puck recovery, this time by Trevor Moore, initiated a brief cycle that culminated in Arvidsson ripping a short-side shot from just above the right dot.
At the 7:42 mark, the Kings effectively sewed up the game with yet another goal from Thomas, his third in five games and under 40 minutes of ice time since his NHL debut on April 1. After his initial shot attempt was blocked, Thomas stayed with the frenetic play and found quiet ice in the high slot, where he deflected Matt Roy’s shot inside the far post.
“He’s a hard worker. He’s worked his way here. He’s had a lot of surgeries, I can relate to that,” Arvidsson said. “He’s had a long way to come and he’s been successful, so I’m happy for him.”
In the third period, Kempe nearly heaved a shot into the empty net following a flummoxed exchange between Markstrom and his mates, but defenseman Oliver Kylington prevented a goal with his shoulder.
Calgary would instead earn the game’s next goal when the newest Flame, Daniil Miromanov, had his shot redirected home by Calgary’s highest-paid player, Huberdeau, as he fended off a check from Jordan Spence at 8:28.
Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko entered the match on a torrid scoring streak of six games, across which he’d compiled 11 points. That streak ended Thursday and to compound matters for the sniper, his off-balance pass into the slot was intercepted by Arvidsson and lofted into the empty net with 3:14 to play, clinching the game and a position in the playoffs.
“He brings the energy for sure. He’s doing a lot of stuff right,” Kopitar said of Arvidsson. “He’s mostly known for scoring and putting up points, but he’s very successful winning battles, blocking shots and making sure that he’s in the right spot.”
