What we learned from the Kings’ 3-0 victory over Calgary on Monday

The Kings capitalized on the Calgary Flames’ depleted state to earn a 3-0 victory on Monday at Staples Center. The Kings jumped past Colorado and St. Louis and into the first wild-card spot, but things are changing every day—and the Kings don’t play on Tuesday. Here’s what we learned from their performance on Monday:

Their special teams were efficient

Their power play was three for five, which tied a season-high for most power-play goals in a game. This was the fourth time they’ve scored three goals with a man advantage in a game and first since Jan. 21 against the New York Rangers. Their penalty killing was three for three. Through Monday’s games, they ranked second in the NHL in penalty-killing percentage, at 84.7%. “Our special teams [play] was good but that counts on both sides,” said defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who scored the first goal and set up the second. “I thought our penalty kill gave us momentum, and special teams is about momentum. So we did a lot of really good things and we’ve got to build off of it.”

They avoided a first-game-back-from-a-trip letdown

This was the Kings’ first home game after a four-game trip, and according to hockey wisdom, it should have been a difficult challenge. It helped the Kings that injuries kept two of Calgary’s top three scorers out of the lineup (Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk) and Johnny Gaudreau was on leave to be with his ailing father. But the Kings took advantage of their power plays and began shooting the puck more often after being credited with only eight shots in the first period. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick faced only seven shots in the first period, eight in the second and eight in the third, but he did his part in earning his 49^th career shutout. “It was an effort from every guy. I thought we checked really hard,” Phaneuf said after his first multi-point game with the Kings. “Quickie was incredible in the net for us like he consistently is, so it’s a good team win. It feels good coming back after a long trip.”

Coach John Stevens was pleased with his players’ response to a grueling part of the schedule. “For us, it felt like an extension of the road trip. You get off the road, get in at three o’clock in the morning, you have one day to recover and then play right away again,” he said. “You knew Calgary was going to come and play hard. I just thought the guys needed to stay with it for the distance, and obviously special teams played a big part of it tonight. Those are tough games, especially when you’re coming off the road like we did, so I thought the guys really showed up and played hard tonight.”

Dustin Brown has been nominated for the Masterton Trophy

Brown’s nomination wasn’t directly related to Monday’s game, but this is a good chance to get the news out there. Each chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Assn. nominates a local player for the Masterton Trophy, which is presented to “the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.” It’s named for Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL history who died as the direct result of injuries he suffered during a game. Last season’s winner was Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson, who helped the Senators reach the Eastern conference final after leaving the team to be with his wife, Nicholle, during her cancer treatments.

Brown has rebounded impressively from his 14-goal, 36 point production last season and has 23 goals and 55 points, tied for second on the team behind Anze Kopitar. Despite having the captain’s “C” removed in the summer of 2016 he has continued to be a locker-room leader. Brown said Monday he was humbled by the nomination but wasn’t deserving of the trophy.

“It’s an honor to be nominated for the award but you look at a guy like Brian Boyle,” he said, referring to the New Jersey forward who has overcome leukemia to play this season. “I see what he’s been going through and it’s really hard to compare. I’ve just had a bad few years and now I’ve had a good year and it’s a byproduct of being a being with a great group of guys and I haven’t had to go through anything tough personally.

“What I have gone through pales in comparison to what others who have won the award like Craig Anderson has experienced. I’ve been given the new opportunity here and have taken advantage of it. I’m up for the same award as Brian: he is dealing with cancer, I’m playing hockey and dealing with things that didn’t go my way.”