MacKinnon scores career-high 52nd goal of season, Avs clinch NHL's top seed with 3-1 win over Flames

DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his career-high 52nd goal of the season into an empty net and had two assists to help the Colorado Avalanche clinch the NHL's top seed for the postseason with a 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. It’s the fourth time Colorado has won the Presidents’ Trophy for the best record in hockey. With 114 points and four games left, the Avalanche have a shot to earn 120 in a season for the first time in franchise history. There have only been 12 NHL teams to reach at least 120 points, the most recent being the Boston Bruins in 2022-23 with 135. Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for the Avalanche, who were without forward Nazem Kadri (finger) and defenseman Cale Makar (upper body). Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 28 shots. Tyson Gross scored his first career NHL goal with 2:52 remaining to cut the lead to 2-1. Gross scored again moments later but the Avalanche successfully challenged for offsides to negate the tying goal. MacKinnon sealed it with an empty-net score with 55 seconds left. Dustin Wolf was solid in net and stopped 38 shots. It was quite a contrast to the game on March 30, when Wolf was pulled in the first period of a 9-2 rout by Colorado. Brent Burns had an assist to give him 34 points this season. The 41-year-old Burns ties Nicklas Lidstrom (2011-12) for the second-most points in a season by a blue liner age 40 or older in NHL history. Calgary was without forward Blake Coleman, who returned to Dallas for the birth of their child. In addition, defenseman Kevin Bahl went back to Calgary for evaluation for a lower-body injury.

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Flames: At Seattle on Saturday to finish a six-game trip. Avalanche: Host Vegas on Saturday. \\\_ AP NHL: