Flames' Markstrom allows 6 goals in 2nd straight start in big loss to surging Kings

Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson scored in Los Angeles' four-goal first period, Adrian Kempe had two goals and an assist, and the Kings cruised into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with an 8-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.

Flames head coach Darryl Sutter's teams hadn't allowed four goals in a first period since October 2014, when he was still behind the Kings' bench.

"The game plan, you're down 4-0, pretty much got to flush it and start again, right?" Sutter said from Los Angeles. "No other way around it. Scored the power play goal to start the second, but 5-on-5, I think they dominated us."

Carl Grundstrom had two goals and Gabriel Vilardi and Mikey Anderson also scored for the Kings, who pulled even with Vegas atop the division by extending its points streak to 10 games (8-0-2) with their second eight-goal outburst of the season.

Pheonix Copley made 15 saves for Los Angeles, while captain Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield and Rasmus Kupari had two assists apiece. The Kings have earned a point in every game in March, putting themselves in contention for just the second division title for a franchise with two Stanley Cup championships.

WATCH | Kempe leads Kings past Flames:

"They played a hell of a game," Los Angeles bench boss Todd McLellan said of his team. "I thought our puck pressure and our tenacity was at its best, both when we had the puck and when we didn't. It allowed us to create turnovers and take advantage of them."

Tyler Toffoli scored against his former team for the Flames, who couldn't catch up after allowing four goals in a first period for the first time since November 2017. Sutter's teams hadn't allowed four goals in a first period since October 2014, when he was still