In Los Angeles, Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in a 4-1 win over the visiting Calgary Flames.
Quick lost his shutout bid on a penalty shot in the third period.
“I mean, he was awesome,” Kings defenseman Alec Martinez said. “Jonathan Quick is Jonathan Quick. I feel like a broken record, but that guy has saved my buns so many times throughout my career, and to see him have a game like he did tonight is awesome.”
Mikael Backlund spoiled the shut out on his strike on the penalty.
Tyler Toffoli scored for the Kings to give them a 1-0 lead and break a scoreless streak that seemed to stretch to 2016.
“If we’re going to start a game, that’s the best way to do it,” Kings head coach Todd McLellan said. “Real nice play by [Toffoli], a great shot, and you could kind of feel a little bit of relief on the bench. And then it was time to go back to work, and the guys built off it.”
Jeff Carter had a goal after the puck bounced into the Flames net off Calgary defenseman Mark Giordano.
“I think our first (period) was OK. It is a tough building and we were down one (goal). It was probably in the first seven or eight minutes of the second period, obviously, where the game got away from us,” Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic said. “We need a better pushback from the group. And that’s everybody.”
Anze Kopitar and Ilya Kovalchuk also scored with Kovalchuk ending an 0-for-forever on the power for the Kings.
“I’m disappointed that we couldn’t clean things up a bit down that last seven or eight minutes so that we could reward [Quick] properly, but he did what he needed to do and looked really good in the net, so we’re happy for him,” McLellan said.
The game was marred by a line brawl after a clean from Drew Doughty on Matthew Tkachuk along the left boards. The result was an ugly dog pile in the Kings zone.
[WATCH:Â All Flames vs. Kings highlights]
David Rittich got the start for the Flames and yielded all four Kings goals on 28 shots; he was given the hook after the second intermission.
“The number one thing coming into a game is you got to be willing to battle and outwork the other team, and I thought they were playing harder than us, for sure,” Giordano said. “We can’t keep going up and down like this. We got to be a whole lot better, a whole lot more consistent, and it starts with battles and work, and I think that was the biggest difference tonight.”
Cam Talbot iced the third period and made eight saves.
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