The Kings are looking to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs and solidify their spot in the standings
Calgary Flames (35-37-5, 75 points) at Los Angeles Kings (41-26-11, 93 points)
The Flames can play spoilers when they resume their California swing Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings hold third post in the Pacific Division and not only can clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but are contending with the struggling Vegas Golden Knights one point in arrears.
Then again, everybody on Team Tank would obviously rather see Calgary’s winning streak be snapped at one game.
Jacob Markstrom is slated to play in net, which likely means Dustin Wolf will tend the twine Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Blake Coleman is listed as being out on a day-to-day basis, so shuffling is expected to put Matt Coronato up the lineup and Walker Duehr playing. Oliver Kylington, who missed last game due to injury, did take part in the morning skate, but on a pairing with Dennis Gilbert, and that likely means Kylington will sit out this clash.
The Kings, who expect to start Cam Talbot in net, saw a three-game winning streak snapped Tuesday with a 3-1 loss to the Ducks. Los Angeles has lost four of seven games, not exactly a desirable way to head into the second season.
The Flames have won two of three meetings this season, both by 4-2 scores in Calgary. Los Angeles won a 5-3 game at home just before Christmas.
How the Kings and Golden Knights finish could impact the Flames at the draft. Both Vegas and Los Angeles have four games remaining, and both will face the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and Ducks, while the Golden Knights also have a clash with the Colorado Avalanche. Vegas also will likely need to finish ahead in points to vault into third place as the Kings have three more regulation-time wins. Calgary is to receive from the Golden Knights a 2024 third-round pick from the Noah Hanifin trade, but it becomes a second-rounder if Vegas wins a playoff round this year.
Calgary
Forwards:
Jonathan Huberdeau-Connor Zary-Andrew Mangiapane
Yegor Sharangovich-Mikael Backlund-Matt Coronato
Martin Pospisil-Nazem Kadri-Andrei Kuzmenko
A.J. Greer-Kevin Rooney-Walker Duehr
Extra: Dryden Hunt
Defence:
Nikita Okhotiuk-Rasmus Andersson
MacKenzie Weegar-Daniil Miromanov
Ilya Solovyov-Brayden Pachal
Extra: Dennis Gilbert
Goal:
Jacob Markstrom
Dustin Wolf
Markstrom has a career 12-5-4 record against Los Angeles with a 2.82 GAA and .912 SvPct. Wolf has never faced the Kings.
Los Angeles
Forwards:
Quinton Byfield-Anze Kopitar-Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore-Phillip Danault-Viktor Arvidsson
Kevin Fiala-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Alex Laferriere
Trevor Lewis-Blake Lizotte-Akil Thomas
Defence:
Mikey Anderson-Drew Doughty
Vladislav Gavrikov-Matt Roy
Andreas Englund-Jordan Spence
Goal:
Cam Talbot
David Rittich
Talbot boasts a 10-6-0 career mark versus Calgary with two shutouts a 2.61 GAA and .915 SvPct. Rittich has a 0-1-2 mark against the Flames with a 4.24 GAA and .868 SvPct.
ICE CHIPS: Calgary’s power play has converted in six consecutive games (10-for-22, 45.5%). The Flames have only 42 power-play goals all season … Nazem Kadri, who will play his 899th career game, has scored in consecutive games while Andrei Kuzmenko has netted five goals and six assists in a six-game run … Kevin Fiala (1-3-4), Anze Kopitar (1-3-4) and Drew Doughty (0-4-4) all have netted four points against the Flames this season ... As if the Kings did not have enough forward talent, Akil Thomas, the 2018 second-round pick, finally made his NHL debut last week and has goes into this clash with two goals in four big-league games.
