(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings are coming off consecutive victories, a sign that the club may finally be getting back to its early-season form. The Kings will try to make it three wins in a row when they host the Calgary Flames tonight at the Staples Center.
The Kings began this season with a 12-3-0 record and that start featured a string of six straight wins from Oct. 28-Nov. 13. However, Los Angeles lost seven of its next eight games after that winning streak before posting two straight victories to begin December.
LA ended a four-game slide with a 3-2 regulation win over visiting Florida last Thursday and the Kings continued their four-game homestand with Saturday's overtime victory over Detroit. The Kings, who boast a stellar 10-2-0 mark on home ice this year, will close the residency with tonight's test and Saturday's game against Minnesota.
The Kings' most recent victory came in thrilling fashion as Anze Kopitar scored the game-winning goal with 56 seconds left in OT, lifting LA to a 3-2 victory over the Western Conference-leading Red Wings.
A Detroit turnover in the enemy's zone resulted in a rush for the Kings. Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown pushed the puck down the left wing and sent a cross-ice pass that Kopitar hammered at the top of the faceoff circle behind Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood.
Justin Williams and Alec Martinez joined Kopitar with a goal and an assist for Los Angeles. Jonathan Quick made 27 saves in the win.
"It's a huge win," Williams said. "It's a big win against arguably the best team in the league right now. We battled back from a couple one-goal deficits and we played a strong third period."
The Flames, meanwhile, have won two of three and three of their last five games and are coming off Tuesday's victory over a visiting Tampa Bay club. Rene Bourque had a goal and two assists as Calgary took the 4-2 decision at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Cory Sarich, Jarome Iginla and Tom Kostopoulos each had a goal for the Flames, who had dropped six of nine prior to Tuesday's win. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 22 shots in the victory.
"We've got to keep rolling," Bourque said. "It seems like we win one, we lose one. We need an effort like this in Los Angeles. We need to streak some wins together."
Calgary, which will complete a two-game road trip in Anaheim on Friday, is just 5-8-2 as the visiting club this season.
The Flames beat the Kings earlier this season in Calgary, posting a 3-1 win on Oct. 10. It was the eighth win in the last nine meetings in this series for the Flames, who have also claimed five of the last seven encounters in LA.
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