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After clinching playoff spot, Flames eye division title

Apr 3, 2009 - 6:31 AM By Alan Ferguson Stats Writer

Calgary (44-27-6) at Minnesota (36-32-9) 8:00 p.m. EDT

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) -- With their fifth consecutive playoff berth wrapped up, the Calgary Flames will next try to win the battle for first in the Northwest Division and home ice in the postseason.

Attempting to stay ahead in both races, the Flames seek their first-ever season sweep of division rival Minnesota on Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center.

The Flames enter Friday tied with Vancouver for the Northwest lead but with two more wins than the Canucks and with five games remaining for both teams. Calgary, which travels to Vancouver on Tuesday night, is just one point ahead of Chicago for the Western Conference's top four.

Calgary had a 10-point lead over the Canucks in the Northwest on March 6, but a 5-8-0 mark in its last 13 games helped erase that advantage. The Flames, however, have won two of their last three, including a 3-2 victory Saturday night over the visiting Wild.

Following a 2-1 loss Monday in San Jose, the Flames bounced back Thursday with a 2-1 victory in Dallas. Craig Conroy scored with 7:39 left in the second period, and Miikka Kiprusoff shut out the Stars over the final 56:58, making 29 saves.

Jarome Iginla also scored for the second straight game and with 86 points is likely to be Calgary's leading scorer for the eighth straight season.

"It's a huge win for us," left wing Eric Nystrom said. "We want to get the ball rolling and build off the good things we did."

The Flames will look to keep going against a team they've rolled through this season, outscoring the Wild, 15-8, in five victories. Calgary has won 10 of the last 11 matchups and is 22-4-2 against Minnesota since November 1, 2005.

The Flames will face a Wild team that has seen its playoff hopes dim after alternating wins and losses in its last eight games. With five games left, Minnesota enters Friday's play trailing eighth-place St. Louis by four points in the West.

After winning the finale of their four-game road trip, the Wild couldn't carry that momentum into their return home Tuesday night with a 2-1 overtime loss to Vancouver.

Minnesota held the Canucks without a shot in the third period and tied it at 1-1 on Marian Gaborik's goal with 14:46 remaining, but missed its opportunity for a crucial second point as Vancouver scored with a minute left in overtime.

"We played a great game, but we got one point," goaltender Niklas Backstrom said. "We have to move on and try to get more points."

While the Wild have allowed two goals or fewer in five of the last six games, their offense has struggled to stay consistent. Minnesota has scored three or more goals in each of its last six wins, but tallied two or fewer in six of its last seven defeats.

The Wild have converted four of their last 35 chances on the power play, including an 0-for-5 performance Tuesday.

"I felt that we didn't have enough on the power play," Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire said. "You just can't be waiting, waiting. You have to put the puck on net."

The Flames have missed on their last 19 opportunities and will face one of the league's best penalty-kill units (87.3 percent), which allowed its first power-play goal in six games Tuesday.