LOS ANGELES — The Kings are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight year after clinching a berth with a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
They had a chance to secure a playoff spot against the Ducks on Tuesday, but stumbled 3-1, leaving their moment of relief for Game 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 won games No. 81 and No. 77, respectively. In 2014, they won a an equally pragmatic 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 satisfied, so tonight it was kind of redemption,” said Capt. Anze Kopitar. “I thought for the most part we did a good job and basically we got the job done.”
The Kings are three points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division, and although Vegas has a game in hand, the defending champions are coming off three straight games. That kept the Kings on a collision course with the Edmonton Oilers, who beat Vegas 5-1 on Wednesday without captain Connor McDavid, who was dealing with a minor injury.
“(Making the playoffs) was our goal going into training camp, so one step at a time, and I think we did a good job in the regular season to get there,” said 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 arrived (with) Nashville. We were the last team in, the last game of the season, and we went to the (Stanley Cup) final. I don’t think it matters. It depends on the group and how you approach the upcoming matches.
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. Captain Anze Kopitar contributed two assists to Cam Talbot, who made 22 saves in the team’s fourth win in the last five games. Fiala’s 30th power play point gave him the most for a king since Kopitar’s 38th in 2009-10.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored for Calgary and Jacob Markstrom made 26 of 29 saves.
The Kings opened the ball after 6:48 of play, winning a draw in the offensive zone and summarily taking advantage of the first power play of the game. Adrian Kempe’s one-timer from the right circle went wide and was recovered by Arvidsson. He adjusted the puck to send it back to Kempe, who sent it to Kopitar, who found Fiala at the top of the left circle for a laser that 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 goalie, like you saw tonight,” Hiller said of Arvidsson. “I don’t think he had an assist on that play, but that was just as valuable as anything else on that stretch on goal.”
Fifty-four seconds into the second period, Arvidsson did better than score a point by scoring a goal to make it 2-0. Another puck recovery, this time by Trevor Moore, initiated a brief cycle that resulted in Arvidsson firing a sideways shot just above the right point.
At 7:42, the Kings effectively ended the game with another goal from Thomas, his third in five games and in less than 40 minutes of playing time since his NHL debut on April 1. After his first shot attempt was blocked, Thomas He 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 made his way here. He has had many surgeries, I can understand that,” Arvidsson said. “He had a long road to go and he succeeded, so I’m happy for him.”
In the third period, Kempe nearly fired a shot into the empty net following a disconcerted exchange between Markstrom and his teammates, but defenseman Oliver Kylington prevented a goal with his shoulder.
Calgary instead scored the game’s next goal when new Flame Daniil Miromanov saw his shot redirected on goal by Calgary’s highest-paid player, Huberdeau, as he turned away a Jordan Spence check at 8:28 .
Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko entered the game on a torrid six-game stretch, during which he had 11 points. That streak ended on Thursday and to make matters worse for the sniper, his off-balance pass in the slot was intercepted by Arvidsson and was knocked into the empty net with 3:14 left, winning the game and a playoff spot.
“He brings energy, that’s for sure. He does a lot of things right,” Kopitar said of Arvidsson. “He’s best known for scoring and putting up points, but he’s very good at winning battles, blocking shots and making sure he’s in the right spot.”
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