The Los Angeles Kings beat New Jersey tonight, but didn’t end up gaining any ground on Calgary in the battle for the third seed in the Pacific Division. That’s because the Flames managed to secure a 3-2 victory over Colorado on Monday.
Colorado enjoyed a stretch of six wins over seven games to keep its playoff hopes alive, but after suffering a 3-2 overtime loss to Anaheim on Friday, the Avalanche’s situation went from bad to dire. A loss to Calgary tonight can be seen as the final nail in the coffin even if the Avalanche aren’t mathematically eliminated yet.
The Avalanche trailed for most of the contest, but they at least kept it interesting. Lance Bouma gave the Flames a 3-1 lead midway through the third period, but Gabriel Landeskog responded roughly two minutes later. The Avalanche captain also had an assist earlier in the contest, giving him 21 markers and 51 points in 72 games.
With this win Calgary has a 40-27-6 record. The Flames are two points ahead of the Kings and while Los Angeles has played in one less contest, the Flames have a comfortable lead in the tiebreaker ROW, so they are still in control of their own destiny.
The Flames will play against Dallas on Wednesday before starting what might be a season-defining five-game road trip.