Flames avoid elimination with win against Senators

CALGARY --The Calgary Flames avoided elimination from Stanley Cup Playoff contention with a 6-1 win against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday.

The Flames trail the Montreal Canadiens by eight points for the last of four playoff berths from the seven-team Scotia North Division. Calgary has four games remaining, each against the Vancouver Canucks, and Montreal has two, each against the Edmonton Oilers.
"If we lost, we were going home, so it's an actual must-win, not just saying that," Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "We put ourselves in a terrible position, to be honest. We just have to win and pray. That's all we can do tomorrow. Watch their game, hope. Never thought we'd root for Edmonton, but we need them to win these."
Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau each had a goal and two assists for the Flames (23-26-3), who had lost two games in a row. Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves.

Josh Norris scored for the Senators (22-28-5), who had won three in a row, including 4-2 at the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Anton Forsberg allowed four goals on 23 shots before being replaced by Filip Gustavsson, who made 11 saves.
"They're a team that needs to win out," Ottawa forward Brady Tkachuk said. "They came out ready to play. We didn't. It's unfortunate. It's a little frustrating. We know we're going to be ready for our last game of the year (against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday). It's not only about ourselves, but making our community proud. They've been sticking with us through thick and thin. We just can't give them that effort we gave them tonight."
Gaudreau scored on a backhand deke on a breakaway to put Calgary up 1-0 at 10:39 of the first period after a stretch pass from Mark Giordano.
"I saw him have a little bit of some time and space down low," Gaudreau said. "The D were pretty separated. I kind of just split up the middle and he fired it right up to me and we found a way to get the lead."
Gaudreau has scored 15 points (six goals, 10 assists) in the past 12 games.
Mikael Backlund scored short side over Forsberg's shoulder 17 seconds into the second period to make it 2-0, and Tkachuk gave the Flames a 3-0 lead when he scored off a backdoor pass from Gaudreau at 4:38.
"He put it right in a perfect spot for me right where the D couldn't get it," Tkachuk said. "Just tried to push the D off to try to give him a little bit more space, but the pass was right on the tape. I don't even know if I needed to do that. It was a great play, and that put us up by three, so it was a good lead that we needed to have at that point."
Michael Stone scored on a slap shot off the rush to make it 4-0 at 10:05. Forsberg was pulled after the goal.
Norris cut it to 4-1 at 11:06 with a chip shot.
"They played a playoff game," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "They gave us no room. They know that they can't afford to give up a single point or they're out. They jumped all over a team that played last night and they played a great game and they gave us nothing wire to wire."

Dillon Dube one-timed a pass from Derek Ryan to make it 5-1 at 6:45 of the third period, and Giordano scored on the power play at 13:53 for the 6-1 final.
"It's all about bouncing back in this league and about leaving a good taste in your mouth going into the summer," Brady Tkachuk said. "That's our only objective and only focus going into our last game."
NOTES: The Maple Leafs, Oilers and Jets have clinched the other playoff berths in the North. ... Ottawa went 6-3-0 against Calgary this season. ... Senators forward Colin White played his 200th NHL game. ... Flames forward Glenn Gawdin had an assist on Stone's goal for his first NHL point in his sixth game. ... Markstrom made his 13th consecutive start for Calgary.