FINAL – Kings 5, Flames 3 – Dubois, Laferreire, McLellan

The LA Kings hit the NHL’s holiday break with two more points in the bank, as they skated to a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena.

The Kings jumped out to an early advantage just 61 seconds into the game, as forward Quinton Byfield buried his ninth goal of the season. Stationed at the center point, Byfield set up for a one-timer that evaded traffic in front and snuck through Calgary netminder Jacob Markstrom to put the hosts ahead.

Less than two minutes later, the Flames equalized through defenseman Rasmus Andersson. As the puck shifted around the offensive zone, Andersson worked his way into the right-hand circle and his shot may have been deflected on the way through, sneaking past Kings netminder Cam Talbot on the glove side to knot the score at one goal apiece.

Later in the opening period, the Kings pulled ahead with a power-play goal, taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Defenseman Jordan Spence, stationed at the right point, sent a shot into traffic in front, with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois getting a high deflection on the shot, sending it past Markstrom and in for his sixth goal of the season.

Just over four minutes into the second period, Calgary buried a shorthanded goal to tie the game at two. Off a turnover on a neutral-zone drop pass on the Kings’ zone entry, Calgary turned it around the other way into a 2-on-1 rush, with forward Yegor Sharangovich feeding forward Blake Coleman for a tap-in goal at the back post, tying the game at two early in the middle stanza.

With a pair of goals just under three and a half minutes apart, the Kings opened up the game’s first multi-goal advantage, taking a 4-2 lead into the second intermission.

First, forward Alex Laferriere was the well-deserved recipient of a fortunate bounce, as Drew Doughty’s hard, cross-ice pass deflected off his left skate and in for Laferriere’s fifth goal of the season. Just shy of the halfway mark of the second period, forward Trevor Moore put the hosts ahead by a pair, with his team-leading 16th goal of the season. Taking a pass from defenseman Matt Roy, Moore gained the offensive zone with speed, pulled the puck onto his forehand and snapped a shot past Markstrom with a quick release for the goal.

After a series of power plays, Calgary finally converted to pull within one just over seven minutes into the third period. Talbot made the initial pad save on forward Adam Ruzicka from a tough angle, but the rebound kicked into the path of Coleman, who buried his second goal of the evening the bring the visitors within 4-3.

With exactly 60 seconds remaining in regulation, Byfield buried his second goal of the night and tenth goal of the season for the exclamation point on the win, by a final of 5-3.

Hear from Dubois, Laferriere and Head Coach Todd McLellan following tonight’s victory.

Pierre-Luc Dubois

PLD fields questions from the media before heading into the Christmas break@LAKings |