This was a game the Kings should have won, and they did. The Calgary Flames were missing their top three scorers and were spiraling out of playoff contention because of the five-game losing streak they brought to Staples Center on Monday. That gave the Kings a chance to pick up ground in the excruciatingly tight West playoff scramble without having to deal with the nastiness of Matthew Tkachuk (injured), the skill of Sean Monahan (also injured) and the finesse of Johnny Gaudreau, who was given leave to be with his ailing father.
As has happened so often this season nothing came easily to the Kings, and their loss of defenseman Jake Muzzin to an upper-body injury after a second-period hit looms as a potential problem.