Kings fall to Flames, lock in No. 8 seed and first-round matchup with Avalanche
The Sporting Tribune
Host · Writer
CALGARY — The Los Angeles Kings closed out the regular season with a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, clinching the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and setting up a first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Quinton Byfield scored the Kings’ lone goal, his 24th of the season, establishing a new career high. The 23-year-old forward enters the postseason on a surge, with four goals in his last three games.
Despite the loss, Los Angeles accomplished a notable offensive feat, scoring at least one goal in all 82 games this season — just the fifth time in franchise history the club has achieved that mark.
Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere each recorded an assist. Moore finished the season strong with four points over his final three games, while Laferriere capped a breakout campaign with career highs in goals (21), assists (23) and points (44). His 44 points ranked third on the team behind Byfield (49) and Adrian Kempe (73).
Laferriere also carries momentum into the playoffs, tallying five points in his last three contests.
The night also marked a significant milestone for Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who skated in his 1,521st and final regular-season NHL game. Kopitar finishes his career with 1,316 points, ranking seventh all-time among players born and trained outside North America. He leaves as the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, assists and points, among several other categories.
With the loss, the Kings turn their focus to the postseason, where they will face Colorado for the third time in franchise history. The two teams have not met in the playoffs in more than two decades, with the Avalanche winning both prior matchups in 2001 and 2002.
The series opens Sunday, April 19, at Ball Arena in Denver. Colorado will host Games 1 and 2 before the series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4 at Crypto.com Arena.
Game 1 is scheduled for noon PT on April 19, followed by Game 2 on April 21. The Kings will host Game 3 on April 23 and Game 4 on April 26.
Los Angeles enters the matchup as the conference’s final seed but with momentum from strong individual performances down the stretch — and a roster looking to carry that form into a challenging series against one of the West’s top contenders.
