Chasing wild-card spot, Flames upend Avs in shootout

Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka scored 32 seconds apart in the third period, Yegor Sharangovich had the only goal in the shootout and the Calgary Flames rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in Denver on Monday night.

Lomberg and Klapka added an assist each and Dan Vladar made 28 saves through overtime and another in the shootout for Calgary (35-26-12, 82 points), which is five points back of the Western Conference's second wild-card spot.

Cale Makar and Logan O'Connor each netted a goal, Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to stretch his home point streak to 25 games and Scott Wedgewood turned away 25 shots for Colorado.

The Avalanche (45-26-4, 94 points) have dropped two straight.

After a fast-paced overtime, Sharangovich scored on the second chance of the shootout. Vladar made a save on Charlie Coyle before Valeri Nichushkin hit the right post to end it.

The game was scoreless until late in the first period when Colorado broke through. MacKinnon had the puck near the sideboards and sent a pass to Makar as he skated above the circles. Makar deked MacKenzie Weegar as he stickhandled into the slot and wristed a shot by a screened Vladar at 16:31.

It was Makar's 28th of the season, tying his career high set in 2021-22. He is two goals away from becoming the first defenseman to have 30 goals in a season since Mike Green had 31 for Washington in 2008-09.

The Avalanche added to their lead in the second period. Calgary turned the puck over in its own end, and Parker Kelly sent it to O'Connor in the left circle. O'Connor carried the puck through the slot and slid it just under Vladar's left skate and inside the post at 7:59.

The Flames got even with two quick ones midway through the third.

Weeger took a shot that trickled through Wedgewood and to the side of the crease. Klapka tipped it to the goal line and Lomberg knocked it in at 10:57 to make it 2-1. Klapka tied it at 11:29 when he skated into the left circle, got a pass from Lomberg and beat Wedgewood with a snap shot.

--Field Level Media