Calgary Flames get playoff spot from Edmonton Oilers, Arizona Coyotes

#CalgaryFlames #secureplayoff #berthEdmonton #OilersArizona Flames secure their playoff spot with help from Oilers, then smash Coyotes CALGARY - The Calgary Flames secured an NHL playoff berth in the hours before the puck dropped on Saturday, turning a quiet start into a goal feast in a 9-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes . Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk each scored two goals and provided two assists for the Flames, while Elias Lindholm also had a four-point night with one goal and three assists. Calgary missed the only point needed to secure a trip to the playoffs in Thursday's 6-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. It was their arch-rivals Edmonton Oilers who helped Calgary beat the Cavaliers 4-0 in Saturday's playoffs before the puck fell to Calgary's Saddleback Stadium. The Flames top the Pacific Division at 46-20-9, becoming the third Western club to clinch a playoff berth after the April 6 Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. "Getting into the playoffs is really tough," Flames coach Daryl Sutter said. "Only half the teams in the league can do that. We're in the playoffs two weeks before the season ends." On Saturday, the Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 for the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference. Calgary has seven games remaining in the regular season, two of which are at home. "We still have a lot to do," Tkachuk said. "We know we're in a position right now where we're going to play against a team that's going to be great in the playoffs. Jaimes is big. We fight for it and try to play well, hockey comes in." Arizona scored in the first minute of the game to take a 1-0 lead after a while, but the Flames blasted four goals with 2:33 to go, starting 38 seconds into the second quarter. The 4-ball in 3:11 is the third-fastest start in NHL history and the fastest in 45 years, according to league data. "It's not just exciting for us. I think the fans are excited. We love it," Gaudre said. "It's just a three-goal game at the moment and we have to keep working hard." Saddledome sang "We Want 10" as the flames continued to fill the Arizona net. Gaudreau's four-point night brought his total to 105 this season. Tkachuk and Lindholm scored their 39th goal, while Gaudreau scored the 36th from 16,823. The last Flemish to score more than 40 goals in a single season was Jarome Iginla in 2010/11. Dillon Dubey also scores twice