Kings keep Flames from clinching playoff spot
CALGARY, Alberta -- Jarome Iginla's "Gordie Howe hat trick" -- a goal, assist and a fight -- led the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Anze Kopitar also had a goal and an assist for the Kings (36-33-7), who kept their slim playoff hopes alive heading into their final six games of the season.
Ben Bishop made 25 saves for Los Angeles, while Trevor Lewis and Jeff Carter also scored.
Dougie Hamilton scored for the Flames (43-30-4), who could have clinched a playoff berth with a win. Calgary's next chance to qualify for post-season play will come on Friday when they host the San Jose Sharks at the Saddledome.
Making his third straight start in net for Calgary, Brian Elliott finished with 29 saves.
With six games left, the Kings are nine points behind the St. Louis Blues in the race for the last Western Conference playoff spot.
The last time the two teams met on March 19 at the Saddledome, Flames rookie left winger Matthew Tkachuk elbowed Kings defenseman Drew Doughty in the face near the end of the first period of a 5-2 win for Calgary.
Although Tkachuk wasn't penalized on the play, he was subsequently suspended two games for the incident.
Just 25 seconds into the game, Tkachuk dropped the gloves to fight Jake Muzzin, who refused to oblige, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to the 19-year-old rookie.
Hamilton opened the scoring at 3:04 of the first when he jammed a loose puck in the crease past Bishop. Hamilton's initial shot actually missed the net, but the puck hit Los Angeles defenseman Alex Martinez and bounced back into the crease.
Off the ensuing faceoff after Hamilton's goal, Brayden McNabb dropped the gloves for a spirited fight with Tkachuk, who seemed to draw the ire of Los Angeles players all game.
The Kings pulled even at 12:04 when Lewis redirected defenseman Derek Forbort's point shot past Elliott.
Los Angeles went up 2-1 with 45.8 seconds left in the second period on a goal that was credited to Iginla, who drove hard to the net and tried to shovel the puck past Elliott. While lying on the ice, Flames defenseman Mark Giordano inadvertently reached back and batted the puck past Elliott.
Kopitar one-timed a pass from Jake Muzzin past Elliott at 6:09 of the third to make it 3-1 before Carter drove to the net and tipped a pass from Iginla past Elliott at 12:40 for another insurance marker.
NOTES: The Flames went with the same lineup they used during a 4-2 win at home over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, meaning that C Curtis Lazar, C Freddie Hamilton, D Dennis Wideman and D Rasmus Andersson sat out as healthy scratches. ... The Kings scratched C Nic Dowd, C Jordan Nolan, C Jonny Brodzinski and D Paul Ladue. ... Kings C Trevor Lewis played in his 500th NHL game and scored to reach the 10-goal mark for the first time in his career. ... C Jeff Carter, who leads the Kings with 32 goals, had gone eight games without finding the back of the net before scoring in the third period.