Flames’ Markstrom allows 6 goals in 2nd straight start in big loss to surging Kings | CBC Sports

Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson scored in Los Angeles’ four-goal first period, Adrian Kempe had two goals and an assist, and the Kings cruised into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with an 8-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.

Flames head coach Darryl Sutter’s teams hadn’t allowed four goals in a first period since October 2014, when he was still behind the Kings’ bench.

“The game plan, you’re down 4-0, pretty much got to flush it and start again, right?” Sutter said from Los Angeles. “No other way around it. Scored the power play goal to start the second, but 5-on-5, I think they dominated us.”

Carl Grundstrom had two goals and Gabriel Vilardi and Mikey Anderson also scored for the Kings, who pulled even with Vegas atop the division by extending its points streak to 10 games (8-0-2) with their second eight-goal outburst of the season.

Pheonix Copley made 15 saves for Los Angeles, while captain Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield and Rasmus Kupari had two assists apiece. The Kings have earned a point in every game in March, putting themselves in contention for just the second division title for a franchise with two Stanley Cup championships.

WATCH | Kempe leads Kings past Flames:

Flames fall to Kings as Kempe leads way

Adrian Kempe, who would finish the game with two goals and one assist, records his first tally of the night while on a breakaway after a good pass from Alex Elder as Los Angeles defeats Calgary 8-2.

“They played a hell of a game,” Los Angeles bench boss Todd McLellan said of his team. “I thought our puck pressure and our tenacity was at its best, both when we had the puck and when we didn’t. It allowed us to create turnovers and take advantage of them.”

Tyler Toffoli scored against his former team for the Flames, who couldn’t catch up after allowing four goals in a first period for the first time since November 2017. Sutter’s teams hadn’t allowed four goals in a first period since October 2014, when he was still behind the Kings’ bench.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 20 shots and gave up six goals in the first two periods of his 10th consecutive start before Dan Vladar mopped up in the third for the Flames. Markstrom also allowed six goals in Calgary’s overtime loss to Dallas two days earlier to begin the team’s worst two-game defensive stretch of the season.

Noah Hanifin also scored for the Flames, who have lost four of six to hurt their playoff hopes.

The Kings were prolific offensively even with top scorer Kevin Fiala missing his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury.

Grundstrom put Los Angeles ahead early when he skated around Markstrom and scored a goal in his third consecutive game. Doughty then scored his third goal in four games on a long shot through traffic, and Vilardi scored 57 seconds later.

Arvidsson scores 20 for 5th time

“We got the lead early and then we didn’t look back from there,” Byfield said. “We came out, played our game right at the start. We took the lead and just kept playing the right way. The goals just kept coming for us tonight.”

Arvidsson added a power-play goal off a cross-ice pass from Kempe to secure his fifth career 20-goal season, including both of his years with Los Angeles.

Toffoli drove home his 29th goal from the slot on a power play 34 seconds into the second period, increasing his points total to a career-high 62. The goal was Toffoli’s third in seven career games against the Kings, who drafted him in 2010 and won a Stanley Cup with him in 2014 before trading him in 2020.

But Kempe got his 33rd goal on a breakaway created by an exceptional long pass from Alexander Edler midway through the second, and he scored again 4 1/2 minutes later. Anderson scored his first career power-play goal in the third.

Milan Lucic was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. The veteran Calgary forward who played one season for the Kings has scored just one goal in his last 27 games since Jan. 10.

Up next the Flames face the Ducks in Anaheim on Tuesday.

Kings host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

WATCH | Robertson scores OT winner to lift Stars over Flames on Saturday:

Overtime goal by Robertson gives Stars win over Flames

Jason Robertson’s goal in overtime gave Dallas a 6-5 win over Calgary Saturday night.