By Canadian Press

Nazem Kadri paces Flames to 4-2 win over Kings with goal and assist

Mar 30, 2024 | 11:07 PM

CALGARY — Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist for the Calgary Flames in a 4-2 win over the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Martin Pospisil, Blake Coleman and MacKenzie Weegar also scored for the Flames (34-34-5) who halted a five-game losing skid. 

Andrei Kuzmenko contributed a pair of assists. Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 16 saves for the win.

But with nine games remaining in the regular season, the Flames were all but out of playoff contention. Calgary posted a 5-9-0 record in the month of March after trades overhauled the defence.

Calgary was 14 points back of the Kings (38-24-11) who held the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference with nine games remaining.

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The Kings were three points back of both the Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights, and 15-9-1 since Jim Hiller replaced Todd McLellan as head coach Feb. 2.

Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar also scored for Los Angeles. Kevin Fiala had a pair of assists. Kings starter David Rittich, who is a former Flame, stopped 31 shots in the loss.

Calgary scored three power-play goals on five chances, while Los Angeles went 2-for-4.

The Flames outshot the visitors 20-4 over the first 30 minutes of the game. Weegar blocked six shots in the first two periods and scored a power-play goal in the third.

Jonathan Huberdeau down low dished high to the defenceman, whose knuckleball of a shot fooled Rittich at 11:30. Markstrom repelled Kopitar splitting the Calgary defence and attempting a redirection early in the third.

Coleman’s power-play marker to make it 3-1 at 11:58 of the second period was the Texan’s 29th of the season. Kopitar countered on the power play at 18:25 for his 25th, which pulled the Kings within a goal again.

Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson was hobbled by a Fiala blast off his inner ankle. With Andersson’s mobility limited, Kopitar had time to shoot upstairs on Markstrom. Andersson limped to the dressing room, but returned for the third period.

Coleman shovelled a rebound by Rittich after Andersson’s initial shot.

Pospisil made it 2-1 for the hosts at 11:56 of the first period. Kadri fed Kuzmenko down low, who fed the Slovak forward driving the net.

The teams traded power-play goals early. Kempe one-timed a Drew Doughty pass off Markstrom’s shoulder and into the net at 5:42. 

Calgary scored first at 4:45 when Kadri in the slot swept the puck by Rittich on a Kuzmenko feed.

The Flames were minus forward Andrew Mangiapane for a second straight game with an undisclosed injury. The Kings were without Philip Danault (upper-body).

UP NEXT

The Flames: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.

Kings Visit the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2024.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press