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On this night, you never would have been able to guess which squad was sitting in a playoff position and which is already focused on the future.
The Calgary Flames were dominant for long stretches Saturday, scoring a hat-trick of power-play goals — who saw that coming? — en route to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at the Saddledome.
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The Flames snapped out of a five-game losing skid. They limited the Kings, currently sitting in the second wildcard in the Western Conference, to only 18 shots on net, including just five through the first 37-plus minutes.
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Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman and MacKenzie Weegar each capitalized on the man-advantage, an overdue outburst for a power-play unit that ranks 29th in the NHL.
Martin Pospisil added an even-strength strike, Andrei Kuzmenko provided a pair of pretty assists and Jacob Markstrom was sharp when called upon.
The Flames and Kings traded special-teams goals in Saturday’s early stages.
Kadri, after being high-sticked by Quinton Byfield, earned an immediate measure of revenge by polishing off a sweet dish from Kuzmenko for a PP marker.
Less than a minute later, after Calgary’s Joel Hanley was busted for holding, Adrian Kempe evened things up with a blocker-side blast.
Kuzmenko picked up another primary assist — and it was another beauty — on Pospisil’s go-ahead goal. Kuzmenko was threatening to shoot, and the Kings were clearly expecting he would, but he instead slid a cross-crease feed to leave his new linemate with a gimme.
Coleman extended the lead on a second-period power-play, converting Rasmus Andersson’s rebound.
The Kings replied on their next man-up opportunity. With Andersson barely able to stand after a gutsy block off the inside of his left foot, Kempe sizzled a pass to his side for a top-shelf finish by Anze Kopitar.
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Markstrom robbed Kopitar on a redirect early in the third, preventing the coulda-been tying tally with a gorgeous glove, and Weegar provided some insurance with a low blast on the man-advantage.
ICE CHIPS: Next up for the Flames is Tuesday’s date with the Anaheim Ducks at the Saddledome (7 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan) … Andrew Mangiapane missed a second straight game due to injury. Mangiapane is listed as day-to-day, with Flames bench boss Ryan Huska telling reporters after Saturday’s morning skate that “he won’t play tonight and probably not the next one, but we’ll be hopeful after that.” … The Calgary Wranglers were idle Saturday, but they officially clinched a Calder Cup playoff spot thanks to a helpful result on the out-of-town scoreboard. The Flames’ farm club is currently sitting fifth in the AHL’s Pacific Division, although they’re just three points out of a tie for second. The Wranglers are back in action Sunday, hosting the San Jose Barracuda for a 1 p.m. matinee at the Saddledome.
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