Parekh scores winner as Flames beat Kings 3-1

Los Angeles Kings' Mikey Anderson, left, and Scott Laughton, right, check Calgary Flames' Blake Coleman during first period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Thursday, April 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY — Zayne Parekh snapped a 1-1 tie with a goal at 6:08 of the third period to lift the Calgary Flames to a 3-1 season-ending win over the playoff-bound Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
• Read more sports news on the CTV News Calgary sports page

Rookie goalie Arsenii Sergeev made his first career NHL start, stopping 27 of 28 shots for the Flames (34-39-9).

Morgan Frost opened the scoring at 5:21 of the second period on the power play with his 22nd of the year. Matvei Gridin and Matt Coronato picked up the assists.

Quinton Byfield responded less than two minutes later with his 24th of the season.

Joel Farabee netted his 20th goal on the season as he sealed the win with an empty-netter in the final minute.

Calgary’s Ryan Strome wrapped up his campaign with a two-assist effort.

Anton Forsberg made 18 saves for the Kings (35-27-20), who learned during the game that they’d have to settle for the second wild-card seed and a playoff date with the league-leading Colorado Avalanche.

The Edmonton Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division with 93 points after a 6-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, while the Anaheim Ducks edged the Nashville Predators 5-4 to finish third in the Pacific with 92 points.

TAKEAWAYS

Flames: Russian netminder Sergeev has spent time in both the ECHL and the AHL this season before his NHL debut. The 23-year-old was a seventh-round pick for the Flames in the 2021 NHL entry draft.

Kings: Anze Kopitar, who appeared in his final regular-season game, finished with the seventh-most career points all-time by a born and trained European player with 1,316. The leader of the category is Jaromir Jagr who recorded 1,921 points. Kings’ centre Scott Laughton left the game in discomfort after blocking a Frost shot in the second period. Laughton eventually returned.

KEY MOMENT

Parekh scored his fourth of the season to make it 2-1.

KEY STAT

Matvei Gridin became just the fifth Flames player in the past 20 years to record 20 points in a season at age 20 or younger. The forward wrapped up his rookie season with 20 points in 37 games.

UP NEXT

Flames: Begin the off-season.

Kings: Visit the league-league Colorado Avalanche on Sunday to start the first round of playoffs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2026.

Sam Matheos, The Canadian Press