Flames hope to avoid fisticuffs vs. Kings
LOS ANGELES -- With the Stanley Cup playoffs just days away, the Calgary Flames are starting to build a reputation as a feisty team.
Coming off a fight-filled loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday that featured a questionable hit, they face a Los Angeles Kings team that could be looking for some revenge for a similar hit on a star player recently.
The Flames (44-32-4) will make the Western Conference playoffs as a wild-card qualifier after dropping a 3-1 decision to Anaheim -- coupled with the San Jose Sharks' win over the Vancouver Canucks -- that eliminated the possibility of finishing among the top three teams in the Pacific Division.
Calgary's final two games against Los Angeles and San Jose will determine if the Flames face the Pacific winner or the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the postseason.
Mark Giordano's late knee-on-knee hit on Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler was responsible for a 106 penalty-minute third period that included three 10-minute misconducts and three game misconducts, a rarity in today's game.
"I just hope he's OK," Giordano said of the hit on Fowler. "There was no intent to hurt him. I was just trying to come across and try to stop him from getting to the net. He came through the middle with a lot of speed and I was coming across to make a hit on him. I hope it's nothing too serious. You obviously don't like to see guys get hurt."
The NHL Department of Player Safety stated Wednesday that no review for the Fowler hit would be forthcoming, so Giordano is expected to play Thursday.
There may be some lingering bad blood between Calgary and Los Angeles dating back to a March 19 meeting that saw Flames rookie winger Matthew Tkachuk elbow Kings defenseman Drew Doughty in the jaw, earning Tkachuk a two-game suspension. In the following game between the teams, they combined for 74 penalty minutes.
After clinching the playoff spot, the Flames dropped a home-and-home series to Anaheim -- a potential first-round playoff foe. Although Calgary lost in Anaheim for the 25th consecutive time, Flames coach Glen Gulutzan is pointing at the Los Angeles game as an opportunity to get his team back on track.
"I was not unhappy with our game in Anaheim," Gulutzan said. "We stuck together when things got tough in the third period. There are some positive things we can take away from this game."
The Kings (38-34-7) -- eliminated from postseason contention after a home loss Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes -- found surprising offense in a 6-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Los Angeles is 28th in goals per game (1.86) and last in the league in shooting percentage (6.01), a primary reason why it missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons after winning the 2014 Stanley Cup.
Tanner Pearson is one of few Kings experiencing a solid offensive season -- his career-high 24th goal was the decisive tally of the Edmonton win. Like the rest of his teammates, Pearson struggled to find a reason for the team's offensive shortcomings despite a roster filled with established players.
"It's kind of weird, said Pearson. "You get removed from the playoffs, and then you come out with a six-goal game the next day, so it would have been nice to have that a couple games ago."
With the Kings playing meaningless games to close out the season, it has given coach Darryl Sutter the opportunity to look at the organization's best prospects. He gave the opportunity to rookie forwards Adrian Kempe and Jonny Brodzinski to show what they can add to a struggling offense going into next season. Brodzinski's willingness to shoot the puck at any opportunity paid off with his first two NHL points in the Edmonton victory.
"I feel like I have been playing some really good games," Brodzinski said. "I'm getting my chances, just pucks weren't going into the back of the net. I just have to keep plugging away and keep playing my game, and good things will happen."
