Tonight is Jonas Hiller’s 33rd birthday, so the Calgary Flames gave him the gift of not having to face the Los Angeles Kings’ hot offense for a full 60 minutes.
After managing a 2-2 tie through two periods despite being heavily out-played, Hiller and the Flames caved in during the final frame.
Los Angeles scored three unanswered goals to chase Hiller about eight minutes into the third period, and while the Flames scored later on to make the score more presentable, there was no question which team owned the play on Thursday.
Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli’s impressive nights stood out the most among some dominant Kings performances.
Carter collected three assists, pushing his career points total to 501 by the end of the night. Toffoli scored an absolutely sublime goal to get a hat trick:
Yeah, not sure exactly what Hiller could have done there. He ultimately gave way to Karri Ramo after stopping 35 out of 40 shots.
"If it wasn't for Hiller, the game would have been over in 40 minutes" - #Flames coach Bob Hartley
— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) February 13, 2015
Sure, there were moments when the Kings’ frustrating times still showed through, even while wearing their flashy throwback duds and as they carried much of the play. Jonathan Quick’s frustrations surfaced here and there, as you can see after this goal:
Overall, the Kings looked familiar even in their unusual uniforms, as they stand as the team many top West teams hope to avoid. They’ve won three games in a row and now find themselves just three points behind the Flames (with a game in hand) in the race to lock up a wild card spot.
With tonight’s win, the @LAKings have 40 points this season at home (17-6-6), the most through 29 home games in franchise history. #CGYvsLAK
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 13, 2015
(The Minnesota Wild are even hotter and have one more point than the Kings in one more game played, so it’s obvious that Los Angeles has to overcome more than Calgary’s Cinderella run ...)
Anyway, the Kings have a long way to go to secure a playoff spot, but they’re starting to look like that world-beating bunch yet again. It’s one sequel that few outside of Hollywood look forward to seeing ...
"Not a lot needed to be said before the game. When you looked around the room pregame, you could tell everybody was ready" - @JeffCarter_77
— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) February 13, 2015