DALLAS — Miikka Kiprusoff made 29 saves, Craig Conroy scored the go-ahead goal and the Calgary Flames clinched a playoff spot with a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.
With a spot in the postseason assured, the Flames can focus on gaining home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Calgary took a one-point lead over Vancouver for the Northwest Division lead, with the Canucks playing Anaheim later Thursday.
Jarome Iginla scored his 33rd goal for Calgary.
Rookie Fabian Brunnstrom had a goal, and Marty Turco stopped 22 shots for Dallas.
Dallas has dropped eight of nine. With four games left, the Stars are likely to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
Conroy deflected Dion Phaneuf’s shot from the slot past Turco to give the Flames a 2-1 lead with 7:39 left in the second.
After giving up an early goal, Kiprusoff secured the win by turning away two power plays and stopping 10 shots in the third.
The Stars, who snapped a seven-game skid Tuesday night against Los Angeles, took the early lead on Brunnstrom’s 14th goal. The rookie scored on a backhander at 3:02 of the first.
Iginla hit right post with his shot and the puck deflected off the back of Turco’s skate and just crossed the red line to tie it at 10:40 of the first.
Notes: Eight players were scratched from the Dallas lineup,
including D Trevor Daley (lower body), D Stephane Robidas (lower body) and C Brian Sutherby (lower body). … The Flames were 0-for-2 on the power play. Calgary has not scored in its last 19 chances with a man advantage over five games. … Dallas will play its final home game of the season Saturday against St. Louis.
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