The Kings won't be able to defend their crown.
The 2013-14 Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings were eliminated from postseason contention Thursday night following a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames, who stamped their first ticket to the playoffs since 2009.
As the buzzer sounded at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Thursday night, elation filled the air for the Flames while the Kings were left to stew over the "disappointment" that came with this season.
"It's hard to put stuff into words right now. We're certainly not satisfied and are very disappointed," Kings center Anze Kopitar, who leads the team with 64 points this season, told ESPN. "We just didn't play good enough hockey this year. Too much inconsistency, four and five-game losing streaks, and you can't do that. It's too tough coming down the stretch, this time of year, to be playing catch-up."
Los Angeles is no stranger to earning victories in must-win games in the postseason, but with their playoff lives on the line in the regular campaign, the Kings were only able to muster one goal on Flames goalie Jonas Hiller on a third period tally from Jordan Nolan that pulled the team within 2-1.
The loss snapped a five-year playoff streak for the Kings and puts them on the outside looking in after making it to the Western Conference Finals in three consecutive campaigns and hoisting the Stanley Cup in two of the last three springs.
Los Angeles won three straight Game 7s and then ousted the New York Rangers in five games in the Stanley Cup Final last season, but they couldn't shake off elimination on Thursday.
"It's a big disappointment for our group that expects to be in the playoffs, Kings captain Dustin Brown told ESPN. "That's not an expectation from outside, it's an expectation from inside."
The Flames, meanwhile, make the postseason for the first time since the 2008-09 season and fittingly top-scorer Jiri Hudler (76 points) found the twine twice (including an empty-netter) Thursday and Calder Trophy candidate Johnny Gaudreau (24-40--64) also tallied.
"I'm very proud of them. We believed in training camp. We really believed," Flames coach Bob Hartley said via ESPN.
The Flames will play the Vancouver Canucks in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begin on Wednesday, but home-ice and the schedule for that series is still to be determined.
The Kings, meanwhile, prepare for a summer that will feel much longer than the team is used to in years past.
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