Flames beat playoff-bound Kings 3-1 in season finale

Calgary's Arsenii Sergeev makes 27 saves in his first NHL start

Apr. 17, 2026 at 9:30am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a hockey game, with the players and ice broken down into sharp, overlapping shapes in shades of blue, white, and gray.A cubist interpretation of the final game of the NHL regular season, with the playoff-bound Kings facing off against the eliminated Flames.Denver Today

The Calgary Flames defeated the playoff-bound Los Angeles Kings 3-1 in their final game of the NHL regular season. Rookie goaltender Arsenii Sergeev made 27 saves in his first NHL start, while Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Zayne Parekh scored for the Flames. The Kings, who had already clinched a wild card playoff spot, got a goal from Quinton Byfield.

Why it matters

The Flames missed the playoffs this season, but this win allowed them to end the year on a high note. For the Kings, the focus now shifts to their first-round playoff matchup against the NHL regular season champion Colorado Avalanche.

The details

The Flames opened the scoring in the second period with a power play goal from Morgan Frost, his 22nd of the season. The Kings quickly tied it up less than two minutes later with a goal from Quinton Byfield. In the third period, Zayne Parekh broke the tie to give the Flames the lead, and Joel Farabee added an empty-net goal to seal the victory for Calgary.

  • The game was played on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
  • The Kings learned during the game that they would be the second wild-card team in the Western Conference and face the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs, with Game 1 on Sunday in Denver.

The players

Arsenii Sergeev

The Calgary Flames' rookie goaltender who made 27 saves in his first NHL start.

Zayne Parekh

The Calgary Flames player who scored the game-winning goal in the third period.

Anze Kopitar

The Los Angeles Kings star player who appeared in his final regular-season game, finishing with the seventh-most career points by a born and trained European player with 1,316.

Quinton Byfield

The Los Angeles Kings player who scored the team's lone goal in the game.

Anton Forsberg

The Los Angeles Kings goaltender who made 18 saves in the game.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The Los Angeles Kings will face the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the NHL playoffs, with Game 1 on Sunday in Denver.

The takeaway

This game marked the end of the regular season for both teams, with the Flames missing the playoffs but ending on a high note, while the Kings secured a wild card spot and now turn their attention to a tough first-round matchup against the league-leading Avalanche.