The Calgary Flames are the third Canadian team to clinch a spot in the 2017 playoffs, earning their berth with a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.

Calgary's long trek back to the postseason wasn't an easy one. The Flames started off 2016-17 with a rough 5-10-1 stretch, but rebounded midway through the season after getting some exceptional play from goaltender Brian Elliott.

The veteran netminder posted a save percentage of just .898 during the season's first month, but rebounded shortly after the calendar flipped to 2017, turning in clips of .922 in February and .935 in March.

With their playoff berth in tow, it's safe to say the Flames' rebuild has stabilized. The club earned a postseason spot in 2014-15 - its first in six years - before missing the cut last season. The disappointment prompted a coaching change, as bench boss Bob Hartley was ousted in favor of Glen Gulutzan.

As it turns out, the move worked.

After zero Canadian clubs made it into the playoffs last season, three have now clinched spots in 2017 - Montreal, Edmonton, and now Calgary.

The Flames sit in a wild-card spot for now, just one point back of San Jose for third place in the Pacific Division.

If the standings remained as they are right now, Calgary would meet the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, though the Flames are currently only six points behind them for first place in the Pacific, so much is yet to be decided.

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St. Louis Blues: in.

For the sixth consecutive season, the Blues will play spring hockey, clinching a playoff berth by virtue of earning a point in Friday's shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

St. Louis has endured an up-and-down season, which saw longtime head coach Ken Hitchcock fired in favor of Mike Yeo in February.

However, the Blues are as hot as anybody right now, amassing a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games, and will have an opportunity to secure a top-three position in the Central Division, currently sitting two points clear of the Nashville Predators.

Last season, they advanced to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2000-01, ultimately falling to the Sharks in six games.

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CHICAGO - Artemi Panarin had two goals, Corey Crawford made 32 saves and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Friday night to reach the cusp of clinching the Central Division.

Panarin scored in the opening minute, then added an empty-netter with 44 seconds left for his 28th goal of the season. Marian Hossa also scored in the first period for Chicago, and Patrick Kane assisted on all three goals as Chicago extended its division lead to nine points over idle Minnesota.

The Wild have five games remaining and the Blackhawks have four.

Nick Foligno scored his 25th goal to end an eight-game drought and Sergei Bobrovksy made 21 saves, but the Blue Jackets lost for the second time in two nights.

Panarin and Hossa put Chicago ahead 2-1 after 20 minutes in a matchup of the teams with the NHL's second- and third-best records. The Blackhawks and Crawford played a smart, tidy game to deny the Blue Jackets a chance to gain ground on first-place Washington in the Metropolitan Division.

Bobrovsky got his first regulation loss since Feb. 19 against Nashville. He had been 10-0-2 during the run and entered leading the NHL in wins, goals-against average and save percentage.

Coming off a 2-1 overtime loss at Carolina on Thursday night - with backup Joonas Korpisalo in net - the Blue Jackets didn't arrive at the their hotel in Chicago until about 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

The team left Raleigh-Durham International Airport on a chartered jet shortly after Thursday's game, but the plane was forced to turn back about 30 minutes into the flight because of a faulty generator. The Blue Jackets returned to the hotel they stayed at on Wednesday, then flew to Chicago on Friday.

Chicago took advantage by striking fast.

Panarin got a power-play goal 32 seconds in and four seconds after Columbus' Brandon Dubinksy was sent off for cross-checking Niklas Hjalmarsson.

After Jonathan Toews won a faceoff in the Blue Jackets' zone, Kane slipped the puck to Panarin in the slot. He beat Bobrovsky just over his glove with a quick shot.

The teams exchanged goals 22 seconds apart during a 4-on-4 late in the first period.

Foligno tied it 1-all with 2:45 left in the first from the left side of the crease. After taking Sam Gagner's pass from behind the net, he slipped the puck under Crawford.

Finishing a 2-on-1 break with Kane, Hossa's 26th goal put Chicago back in front 2-1 moments later. The 38-year-old faked Bobrovsky to the ice, cut across the crease and scored on a slick backhander.

Both goalies made a handful of alert saves in the scoreless second period, but neither was heavily tested.

Bobrovksy denied Hossa on a prime chance early in the third, then Crawford was sharp when needed - including on Gagner's deflection at 9:30 during a Columbus power play.

NOTES: Blackhawks C Artem Anisimov missed his ninth game (lower body), but coach Joel Quenneville said he hoped the 22-goal scorer would return for the playoffs. ... C Vinnie Hinostroza, recalled from Rockford of the AHL on Thursday, was among Chicago's scratches. ... Columbus coach John Tortorella said the team's flight turnaround was ''very nerve-wracking,'' but otherwise joked about the incident before Friday's game and hoped it might rally his team. ''When you hear the announcement: `It's an emergency, but we're OK,' where do you go with that?'' Tortorella said.

UP NEXT:

Blue Jackets: Host league-leading Washington on Sunday in a showdown of the top teams in the rugged Metropolitan.

Blackhawks: Host Boston on Sunday in their final regular-season home game. Chicago closes out the schedule with three road contests.

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Two-sport athlete alert! Sorta.

New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung practiced with the Boston Bruins on Friday, and unlike fellow NFLer Larry Fitzgerald, he held his own on the ice.

"He was actually better than I expected him to be. We were impressed," Bruins defenseman Torey Krug told CSN's Joe Haggerty. "It was great to see him out there."

Chung showed off his hockey chops with some backwards skating while puck handling, among other skills.

A no-look, backhand pass.

A smooth skate-to-stick transfer and a few shots.

While Chung certainly isn't ready to swap sports, he did a lot better than most football players who strap on the skates.

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New York Islanders captain John Tavares left Friday's contest versus the New Jersey Devils after suffering an apparent leg injury, and will be re-evaluated Saturday, head coach Doug Weight announced.

Tavares was helped to the dressing room by teammates after this play:

The Islanders followed up Thursday's disastrous loss with a 2-1 decision over the Devils to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. New York sits four points back of Boston with five games to go.

Tavares picked up a helper in the win, giving him 66 points in 77 games.

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Andre Burakovsky is going to have nightmares about this one.

The Washington Capitals winger got humbled thrice by Arizona Coyotes rookie Christian Dvorak during their Friday night matchup in Glendale. Dvorak started things off by forcing a turnover by Burakovsky at the Coyotes' blue line, stealing the puck and shifting play toward Washington's end.

He eventually sealed the deal for his 13th goal of the season, but only after embarrassing Burakovsky two more times en route to the net.

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Team USA got off to a strong start at the Women's World Championship on Friday, shutting out Team Canada 2-0 to open the tournament with a win.

After a scoreless first period, United States froward Brianna Decker opened the scoring in the second. Gigi Marvin added the insurance marker early in the final frame.

It was a strong effort for the defending champions, as the Americans fired 30 shots on Canada netminder Shannon Szabados, while Nicole Hensley made 18 saves for a shutout.

The win holds extra significance for the American women, who settled a dispute with USA Hockey March 28 to ensure proper compensation after threatening to boycott this year's tournament due to unfair wages and a lack of support.

Next up, USA faces Russia on Saturday, while Canada is due for a date with Finland.

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The 2016-17 season hasn't been a great one for Sam Bennett, but the young pivot proved Friday night that he still has plenty to offer the surging Calgary Flames.

Bennett linked up with Johnny Gaudreau for an exceptional tally during the pair's tilt with the San Jose Sharks, with the latter drawing in the Sharks' defense and dropping the puck off for Bennett before deflecting home the first tally of the night.

The assist was Bennett's 13th of the season, while the goal was Gaudreau's 18th of the year.

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Great news from the Dallas Stars on Friday evening.

The club announced that forward Curtis McKenzie appears to have dodged any permanent eye damage after taking a high stick Thursday.

"He has a deep gash around his eye, but right now it doesn't look like there is any permanent eye damage," general manager Jim Nill said. "But (doctors) will know more once the swelling goes down.

"He'll get checked every day by the doctors, but so far they see no damage to the eye. It's as good news as you can have."

McKenzie wears a visor, but Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller's stick got behind it, leading to some tense moments as McKenzie was escorted off the ice while bleeding from his eye.

With only five games left on Dallas' schedule, it's likely McKenzie's season is over, though Nill said that'll be determined over the coming days. For five days, he won't take part in any hockey-related activities.

The 26-year-old has six goals and 16 points in 56 games.

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Sidney Crosby says the bank is open.

Even when he's below the goal line, giving No. 87 even an inch of open space is a terrible idea - a hard lesson learned by New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist, who has become the latest victim of Crosby's wizardry.

The goal was Crosby's second point of the night, and his 43rd tally of the season.

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