Colorado Avalanche down Flames, inch closer to showdown with Stars

The Colorado Avalanche got a big 4-2 road win on Friday night against the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Parker Kelly scored twice for the Avalanche, who got their 40th win of the season.

The Avs now have 83 points and look poised to break the 100-point barrier for the season. They are now firmly in third place, four points up on the Minnesota Wild in the Central Division. The was highly entertaining and featured a tremendous performance from Scott Wedgewood.

So, let’s go over three key aspects of Friday night’s Colorado Avalanche win over the Calgary Flames.

3 key points from Colorado Avalanche win over Calgary Flames

Wedgewood was solid

Colorado Avalanche backup netminder Scott Wedgewood was great, making 22 saves on the night. The Avs did a good job of avoiding traffic in front of the net and minimizing high-danger chances.

The Flames got a fluke goal credited to Jonathan Huberdeau that, frankly, was about as weird as they come.

Here’s a look at the goal:

The goal made the game close at 3-2 but it wasn’t enough for the Flames to come back on Friday night. Beyond the unusual goal, Wedgewood shut the door for Colorado, giving the team two crucial points on the road.

Makar misses penalty shot

Cale Makar got a penalty shot during the second period, with the Avs up 1-0. However, Makar lost the handle on the puck as he tried to deke Flames netminder Dustin Wolf.

Take a look:

In Makar’s defense, Wolf played the shot very well, leaving Makar with little room to get a shot away.  Still, a goal at that point would have given the Avs a two-goal cushion. The game remained 1-0 until the Avs eventually pulled away on Parker Kelly’s first of the night late in the second.

Kelly scores twice

Speaking of Parker Kelly, he notched two goals on the night, giving him six on the season. The crucial thing about Kelly’s deuce and Lindgren’s first as an Avalanche is that depth scoring picked up the team on a night in which the top stars, like Makar, failed to register on the scoresheet.

Additionally, Ross Colton had two assists. So, that’s another positive step as the Avalanche get ready for the first-round playoff matchup.

Colorado Avalanche on path to face Dallas Stars

With the win, the Avs now have 83 points and have opened up a four-point lead on the Wild for third in the Central Division. That situation means that the Second-place Stars and the Avalanche are likely destined to meet in the first round.

Even if the Avs brought the Stars down to third, the two clubs are on a collision course this spring. Unless the wheels suddenly come off the Stars and fall into a wild card spot, the table is set for what could be an epic showdown, making the Stars-Avalanche the best first-round series this season.