LOS ANGELES (AP) Jeff Carter scored twice, Jonathan Quick made 21 saves in his fifth shutout of the season and the Los Angeles Kings reclaimed the Pacific Division lead with a 3-0 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.
The Kings moved one point ahead of the idle Anaheim Ducks with their 46th win this season, tying the franchise record most recently set in their Stanley Cup-winning 2013-14 campaign.
Quick earned his 42nd career shutout, extending his own NHL record for American-born goalies. He also earned his 39th win of the season to match the franchise single-season record, which he set in 2009-10.
Joni Ortio stopped 26 shots for the Flames, who have allowed 134 goals on the road, tied with Ottawa for worst in the league.
Andy Andreoff also scored for the Kings, and Anze Kopitar had two assists.
The Kings pounced after Josh Jooris clipped Quick for goaltender interference 35 seconds into the second period. Drew Doughty fired a low slap shot from inside the blue line and Carter tipped it, sending the puck rising over Ortio’s right shoulder to take the lead 11 seconds into the power play.
Doughty picked up his 316th career point, passing Steve Duchesne to move into second place in career scoring among Kings defensemen.
Carter scored his 22nd goal of the season later in the second, benefiting from the alertness of Brayden McNabb and Milan Lucic. Catching the Flames in a change, McNabb threaded a pass through the neutral zone to Lucic, who spun through two defenders and left a pass for Carter at the foot of the crease for an easy score.
Mikael Backlund appeared to have given the Flames some life when he scored on a wrist shot late in the second, but the goal was immediately waved off for goalie interference by Lance Bouma. Flames coach Bob Hartley unsuccessfully challenged the call.
The Flames endured another deflating sequence when Sam Bennett hit the inside of the post in the third, only for the Kings to break down the ice and score. Carter threw the puck in front and it went in off Andreoff and Joe Colborne.
With five games to go, the Kings are in position to claim the franchise’s second-ever division title. However, a recent 1-4-0 stretch by Los Angeles and the continued post-Christmas surge of the Ducks has put another banner in doubt.
NOTES: The Kings host the fifth and final Freeway Faceoff this season between the Southern California rivals next Thursday. ... Quick blanked the Flames for the third time in his career. ... Calgary has only collected 27 points on the road this season, the lowest total in the league.