Kings strike early, beat Flames to clinch playoff berth
Kevin Fiala scores 26 seconds into an early power play, Viktor Arvidsson (two goals) and Akil Thomas also score and Cam Talbot makes 22 saves in a workmanlike 4-1 win to secure a postseason spot for the third consecutive spring
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala, left, celebrates his goal with defenseman Drew Doughty, right, as Calgary Flames center Kevin Rooney skates away during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings won, 4-1, to clinch a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings goaltender Cam Talbot, right, deflects a shot as Calgary Flames center Connor Zary watches during the third period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Calgary Flames center Kevin Rooney, left, and Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson watch the puck as it flies during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, right, stops a shot by Kings center Anze Kopitar during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings goaltender Cam Talbot defends his net during the first period of their game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala, left, shoots and scores past Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, right, as right wing Viktor Arvidsson jumps out of the way during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala, left, celebrates his goal with defenseman Drew Doughty, right, as Calgary Flames center Kevin Rooney skates away during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings won, 4-1, to clinch a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Kings’ Kevin Fiala (22) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Kevin Fiala celebrates as he skates past the bench after scoring a goal for an early lead during the first period of their game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Calgary Flames’ Martin Pospisil, back, skates with the puck against the Kings’ Drew Doughty during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kings goaltender Cam Talbot, right, defends his net during the first period of their game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Calgary Flames’ Andrei Kuzmenko passes the puck during the first period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson, right, skates with the puck in front of the Calgary Flames’ Daniil Miromanov during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kings goaltender Cam Talbot makes a save in front of the Calgary Flames’ Mikael Backlund during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty skates with the puck during the first period of their game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Calgary Flames’ Martin Pospisil, right, skates with the puck as the Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov pursues him during the first period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala, right, shoots the puck as Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, left, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom defend during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. Markstrom stopped the shot on the play. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings goaltender Cam Talbot defends his net during the first period of their game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kings right wing Quinton Byfield, center, gets sandwiched between Calgary Flames defenseman Daniil Miromanov, left, and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar as they battle for the puck during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings interim head coach Jim Hiller, second from right, yells to his players during the second period of their game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala, left, takes the puck as Calgary Flames center Jonathan Huberdeau reaches in during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Kings’ Akil Thomas is seen during the second period of their game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Actor Will Ferrell, left, cheers for the Kings as Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom watches during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom takes a knee in front of his net during a pause in play in the second period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Mikey Anderson, left, skates with the puck against the Calgary Flames’ Ilya Solovyov during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Mikey Anderson, left, skates with the puck against the Calgary Flames’ Ilya Solovyov during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom defends his net during the second period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Phillip Danault, left, skates with the puck against the Calgary Flames’ Yegor Sharangovich during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson, center, shoots the puck as Calgary Flames defenseman Ilya Solovyov, left, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom defend during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Calgary Flames’ Jonathan Huberdeau, right, skates with the puck against the Kings’ Jordan Spence during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson, center, skates with the puck in front of the Calgary Flames’ Matt Coronato, right, during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson, left, skates with the puck in front of the Calgary Flames’ Matt Coronato, right, during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kings defenseman Jordan Spence, right, reaches in on Calgary Flames center Jonathan Huberdeau during the second period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Calgary Flames’ Andrei Kuzmenko, right, skates with the puck as the Kings’ Trevor Moore gives chase during the third period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Calgary Flames’ Connor Zary, left, skates with the puck as the Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov reaches in during the third period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Calgary Flames celebrate a goal by Jonathan Huberdeau, right, during the third period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Calgary Flames center Connor Zary, right, takes the puck as Kings center Phillip Danault reaches in during the third period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Rapper Gunna, left, talks with actor Will Ferrell during the third period of a game between the Kings and the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Calgary Flames’ Connor Zary, right, skates with the puck as the Kings’ Phillip Danault defends during the third period on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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.”
