'C' YOU IN THE PLAYOFFS

The Flames had already given the C of Red two of the most important gifts of the season: a playoff berth, followed by a Pacific Division crown.
But on Fan Appreciation Night Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome in the final home outing of the regular season, they added a victory over a bitter rival, dumping the Canucks 6-3 to deal Vancouver's slim postseason hopes a major blow.
With three games to go, the Flames improved to 49-20-10 and 108 points, the second-highest point total in franchise history. They eclipsed the 107 mark they tallied in 2018-19. They are nine shy of the all-time franchise recored of 117 set in 1988-89.
There were plenty more stats of note in the tilt.

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Elias Lindholm scored his 40th of the season, converting a pass from - who else - but Johnny Gaudreau, throwing his arms in the air and looking up to celebrate the milestone tally.
Brett Ritchie also scored for the Flames to break a 2-2 tie game in the third period, his goal coming off a deflection of a Chris Tanev shot, the blueliner finishing with a pair of helpers.
Then Dillon Dube notched his 16th of the season and sixth in his last six games, and Nikita Zadorov added another 12 seconds later to blow it wide open.
Gaudreau scored his 39th into an empty-net to round out the scoring.
Lindholm joined teammate Matthew Tkachuk in the 40-goal club, No. 19 acheiving the mark in the team's 4-2 win over the Stars on Thursday.
Tkachuk had became the first player to score 40 goals in a season since Jarome Iginla notched 43 in 2010-11.
Gaudreau, with 111 points, beat Joe Mullen's 110 for the second-highest single-season points total in franchise history. Mullen reached the mark in 1988-89. Kent Nilsson is No. 1 with an incredible 131 points in 1980-81.
It was Gaudreau's 72nd assist this season and he is now tied for the third-most assists in a season in franchise history. He needs three more assists this season to tie Al MacInnis for the second-most helpers in a campaign at 75.
Dan Vladar made his 17th start of the season - and second at the Scotiabank Saddledome. He made 28 saves in the victory.
Dustin Wolf was called up from the Stockton Heat earlier in the day and served as the backup, giving Jacob Markstrom the night off.
The Flames had some chances in a scoreless first frame.
Andrew Mangiapane's pass to Tyler Toffoli on a 2-on-1 went off his front skate, and he kicked it to his stick but couldn't get a clean shot off.
Later Dube feathered a pass in to Blake Coleman in the slot but his tip attempt went high.
Tkachuk took a few strides and stepped into a slapshot that beat Vancouver's Thatcher Demko but clanged off the near post.
And then Tkachuk made a lovely long-distance cross-ice feed to Lindholm but his one-timer was kicked aside by Demko.
The Flames had a slight 9-7 edge in shots after 20 minutes.
Lindholm's big goal came 2:44 into the second period on the game's first powerplay, taking a cross-ice feed from Gaudreau and snapping it glove high. Noah Hanifin got the other helper on the goal.

Dube followed it right quick, scoring just 16 seconds later when he one-timed a feed from Calle Jarnkrok that beat Demko five-hole.

Quinn Hughes cut the deficit to one for the visitors with 1:14 left in the second period after a turnover in the Calgary zone, getting the puck all alone out front and roofing it over Vladar's right shoulder.
Conor Garland tied it up at the 5:36 mark of the third but 14 seconds later Ritchie tied it up after battling in front of the net, getting knocked down in the blue paint but getting back up and Chris Tanev's point shot deflecting home off his skate.

Then came a beautiful backhand from Dube at 13:33 and Zadorov's marker at 13:45.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Shots: CGY 31, VAN 31
Powerplay:CGY 1-2, VAN 0-1
Hits:CGY 25, VAN 16
Face-offs: CGY 54%, VAN 46%
\Scoring chances: CGY 287, VAN 15
\High-danger scoring chances:CGY 13, VAN 7
\According of Natural Stat Trick (5-on-5)*

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

ONE-TIMERS:

There was a prolonged 'moment of applause' prior to the game for legendary NHL star Guy Lafleur, who passed away Friday ... The Flames are now 16-7-0 against their Pacific Division rivals this season and 29-13-5 against Western Conference opponents ... Gaudreau is one game away from 600 ... The Flames officially clinched the Pacific Division with their win over the Stars on Thursday. It was the eighth time in franchise history the Flames clinched their division and the first since 2018-19. Calgary is the only Canadian-based team to clinch a division multiple times in the past decade ... With the Colorado Eagles' win over the Ontario Reign Saturday, the Stockton Heat have clinched the AHL's regular season Pacific Division championship. It's the first divisional title for the Heat and the fourth all-time division crown for Flames AHL affiliates as the Heat join the Saint John Flames clubs in 1997-98 and 2000-01 as well as the 2006-07 Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. With the regular-season championship, Stockton will get a bye through the best-of-three first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. With the Chicago Wolves' loss earlier in the day, the Heat now have a Magic Number of just four points to earn the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded to the AHL's regular-season champion ... Three stars of the hit TV show Cobrai Kai - in town for the Calgary Expo - attened the game: Martin Kove (John Kreese), Gianni DeCenzo (Demetri Alexopoulos) and Jacob Bertrand (Eli Moskowitz).

THE LINEUP:

Lines
Johnny Gaudreau - Elias Lindholm - Matthew Tkachuk
Andrew Mangiapane - Mikael Backlund - Tyler Toffoli
Dillon Dube - Calle Jarnkrok - Blake Coleman
Milan Lucic - Trevor Lewis - Brett Ritchie
Pairings
Oliver Kylington - Chris Tanev
Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Nikita Zadorov - Erik Gudbranson
Goaltender
Dan Vladar - starter
Dustin Wolf

UP NEXT:

The Flames hit the road for a three-game trip next week, starting in Nashville on Tuesday. The 6 p.m. MT game will be broadcast on Sportsnet West (TV) and Sportsnet 960 The FAN (radio).