Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm, right, scores on Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen. Lindholm scored a pair but the Kings beat the Flames 5-3 on Feb. 12, 2020.The Associated Press
Tyler Toffoli and Austin Wagner scored 39 seconds apart in the second period to give Los Angeles the lead, and the Kings went on to beat the Calgary Flames 5-3 on Wednesday night.
Kurtis MacDermid, Jeff Carter and Sean Walker also scored to help the Kings end a five-game losing streak. Calvin Petersen stopped 35 shots to get his first win of the season in his second start.
Elias Lindholm had two goals and Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary. Johnny Gaudreau had two assists and David Rittich finished with 28 saves in the Flames’ fourth loss in six games.
Toffoli tied the score 1-1 off a rebound for his 15th of the season just 44 seconds after Backlund had put the Flames ahead.
Wagner then gave Los Angeles the lead for good with his fourth on a breakaway with 7 minutes to go in the middle period.
MacDermid scored on a wrister that beat Rittich top shelf to extend the Kings lead to 3-1 at 1:42 of the third. It was the defenceman’s third.
Lindholm scored at 3:25 to pull the Flames within one goal.
The Kings had a huge penalty kill midway through the final period, with Calgary on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:03 thanks to back-to-back tripping penalties by Drew Doughty and Iafallo. Carter scored from the slot for his 17th to give the Kings a two-goal lead again with 4:48 remaining.
With Rittich pulled for an extra skater, Lindholm got his second of the night and 24th of the season to pull Calgary to 4-3 with 3:05 remaining.
Walker’s empty-netter with 3 seconds left sealed Los Angeles’ win.
Backlund scored to put Calgary on the board first in the second period after a mistake by Petersen. The goalie went behind the net to play the puck, but the it took an unexpected bounce and in trying to clear it, the puck went right to Matthew Tkachuk, who passed to Backlund for the goal.
The Kings – last in the Pacific Division – played a strong first period and outshot the Flames 13-8 in a scoreless first period.
NOTES
It was Dodgers night at Staples Center with retired second baseman Chase Utley dropping the ceremonial puck before the game. … Calgary dropped to 12-4-1 in its last 17 road games. … RW Martin Frk, just recalled from Ontario of the AHL, played in his fifth game with the Kings this season and almost scored with Rittich making a glove save.
UP NEXT
Flames: At Anaheim on Thursday night.
Kings: At Colorado on Saturday night.