The Los Angeles Kings ride a four-game winning streak into their final regular season clash against the Calgary Flames, who have been officially eliminated from playoff contention despite their recent surge.
With LA already locked into second place in the Pacific Division and focused on their upcoming playoff series against Edmonton, both teams could opt to rest key players in this meaningless finale.
The Kings have dominated offensively with 22 goals in their last four games, while Calgary seeks to complete a season sweep after winning both previous meetings.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Los Angeles Kings vs Calgary Flames matchup, our predictive model gives the Kings a 67% chance of defeating the Flames.
Pre-game probabilities
Los Angeles Kings
Moneyline
Win %
67%
33%
Calgary Flames
Los Angeles Kings: 67% win probability
- Superior defensive record (201 goals against vs Calgary's 237)
- Higher point total in standings (105 points vs Calgary's 94)
- Strong recent form with 4 wins in last 5 games (WWWWL vs Calgary's WWWLW)
Calgary Flames: 33% win probability
- Weaker overall record (40 wins vs LA's 48 wins)
- Road disadvantage against a top-4 Western Conference team
- Negative goal differential (-17 compared to LA's +48)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts.
Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
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Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames preview
The Los Angeles Kings will host the Calgary Flames Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena in what amounts to a season finale with drastically different implications for both clubs.
The Kings, riding an impressive four-game winning streak, have already secured second place in the Pacific Division and will face Edmonton in the first round – making this final regular season contest a chance to rest key players while maintaining their scorching offensive pace that's produced 22 goals in their last four outings.
Calgary, despite winning four of their last five games, saw their playoff hopes officially extinguished after Tuesday's shootout victory over Vegas, marking a frustrating end to their late-season push.
Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper has been stellar with five shutouts this season including Monday's blanking of Edmonton, while Calgary has leaned heavily on Dustin Wolf who has started eight consecutive games.
The Flames have had the Kings' number this season with two home victories, but Los Angeles has been nearly unstoppable lately even while managing injuries to several core players including Kopitar and Doughty.
With little on the line, expect both teams to showcase younger talent in what could be a wide-open, defense-optional affair to close out the regular season.
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