Nazem Kadri supplied the spark and the Calgary Flames endured just a few blocked-shot bruises en path to a 4-2 doubling of the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Kadri scored Calgary’s first aim, assisted on the second and decked Kings defenceman Mikey Anderson into the boards in entrance of Calgary’s bench to spur the hosts to a 2-1 lead after the primary interval.
“When Naz is at his greatest, he drags individuals into the struggle with him,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska mentioned.
Martin Pospisil, Blake Coleman and MacKenzie Weegar additionally scored for the Flames (34-34-5), who halted a five-game shedding skid.
Andrei Kuzmenko contributed a pair of assists. Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who made 16 saves for the win, bought assist from teammates who blocked a mixed 18 photographs.
Weegar led the cost in that division with seven blocks. Rasmus Andersson was in ache after taking a Kevin Fiala blast off the within of his skate boot late within the second interval. Andersson completed the sport.
“You’ve bought to get soiled and sore typically to intestine out some victories like this,” Weegar mentioned.
However with 9 video games remaining within the common season, the Flames had been all however out of playoff rivalry. Calgary posted a 5-9-0 document in March after trades overhauled the defence.
Calgary was 14 factors again of the Kings (38-24-11) who held the ultimate wild-card berth within the Western Convention with 9 video games remaining.
“That’s the story of an 82-game season. Actually can’t get too excessive, can’t get too low,” Kings captain Anze Kopitar mentioned. “Now we’ve bought 9 left. We’ve clearly bought to convey it and make it possible for we get into the playoffs after which we’ll go from there.”
Los Angeles was three factors again of each the Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights, and 15-9-1 since Jim Hiller changed Todd McLellan as head coach Feb. 2.
Adrian Kempe had a aim and an help and Kopitar additionally scored for Los Angeles. Fiala had a pair of assists. Kings starter David Rittich, who’s a former Flame, stopped 31 photographs within the loss.
Calgary scored three power-play targets in a recreation for the primary time this season to transform over half their 5 probabilities in entrance of an introduced 17,517 on the Saddledome. Los Angeles went 2-for-4 with a person benefit.
The Flames outshot the guests 20-4 over the primary half-hour of the sport and led 4-2 on Weegar’s third-period aim.
Viktor Arvidsson’s tripping penalty on Weegar with 54 seconds remaining within the recreation put Rittich again in L.A.’s internet after the goalie was pulled for an additional attacker.
Coleman’s power-play marker to make it 3-1 at 11:58 of the second interval was the Texan’s twenty ninth of the season. Kopitar countered on the ability play at 18:25 for his twenty fifth, which pulled the Kings inside a aim once more.
Pospisil made it 2-1 for the hosts at 11:56 of the primary. The groups traded power-play targets early. Kempe one-timed a Drew Doughty go off Markstrom’s shoulder and into the web at 5:42.
Calgary scored first at 4:45 when Kadri within the slot swept the puck by Rittich on a Kuzmenko feed.
The Flames had been minus ahead Andrew Mangiapane for a second straight recreation with an undisclosed damage. The Kings had been with out Philip Danault (upper-body).
WEEGAR WINDING UP
Weegar pushed his profession excessive for targets in a season to 18 on Saturday. The defenceman’s earlier excessive was eight for the Florida Panthers in 2021-22 earlier than his commerce to Calgary.
His 16 targets even-strength leads all NHL defencemen. The 30-year-old from Ottawa says his teammates are speaking up a 20-goal season for him.
“It’s at the back of my thoughts a bit of bit for certain,” Weegar mentioned. “It might be fairly cool, however I feel not for me. Quite a lot of the teammates convey it up fairly a bit, so it’s one thing I can’t actually get away from.”
UP NEXT
The Flames: Host the Anaheim Geese on Tuesday.
Kings Go to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.
