Flames send Quick packing
CALGARY, Canada — Linemates Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan had a goal and two assists each to lead the Calgary Flames over the Kings, 5-2, on Sunday night.
Michael Stone, Mark Giordano and Kris Versteeg also scored for the Flames, and Brian Elliott made 19 saves for his 11th straight win to tie a club record set by Mike Vernon in the 1988-89 season.
The Flames moved into third in the Pacific Division past the Edmonton Oilers, who will host the Kings on Monday.
Anze Kopitar and Nic Dowd scored for the Kings, who remain six points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference wild card.
Goalie Jonathan Quick started for the Kings but was replaced by Ben Bishop at 11:36 of the first period after giving up two goals on seven shots. Bishop stopped 14 of 16 shots.
Monahan opened the scoring at 8:15 of the first period when he took a drop pass and fired a shot to the top corner over Quick’s glove hand.
Only a few minutes later, Quick made a nice play to stop a shot from the slot by Monahan. The Flames kept the puck in the Kings’ zone, and Stone took a pass from Gaudreau before blasting a shot past Quick at 11:36 to put the Flames up 2-0.
Kopitar scored for the Kings with 1:20 to play in the opening period when he redirected a pass from Dustin Brown past Elliott.
Giordano put the Flames back up by a pair 47 seconds into the second period before Gaudreau converted on breakaway chance 50 seconds later by lifting a backhand shot over Bishop’s left pad.
Dowd cut Calgary’s lead to 4-2 at 5:31 by redirecting Paul LaDue’s point shot past Elliott for his first goal since Dec. 22, ending a 33game drought.
Versteeg scored an empty-net goal with 24.8 seconds to play in the game as Calgary won for the 12th time in its last 13 games.
TONIGHT AT EDMONTON When: 6 PDT. On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 790. Update: The Kings could start Quick after he played fewer than 12 minutes Sunday. He is 19-1-5 lifetime against the Oilers while Bishop is 5-1-1 against Edmonton, including his last win with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 21. This is the first of three games between the teams in 16 days. Oilers goalie Cam Talbot recorded his sixth shutout this season Friday. Connor McDavid is the first Oilers player to reach 80 points since Taylor Hall in 2013-14. Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Maroon each have a career-high 24 goals.