MacKinnon scores career-high 52nd goal of season, Avs clinch NHL's top seed with 3-1 win over Flames

DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his career-high 52nd goal of the season into an empty net and had two assists to help the Colorado Avalanche clinch the NHL's top seed for the postseason with a 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

It’s the fourth time Colorado has won the Presidents’ Trophy for the best record in hockey. With 114 points and four games left, the Avalanche have a shot to earn 120 in a season for the first time in franchise history. There have only been 12 NHL teams to reach at least 120 points, the most recent being the Boston Bruins in 2022-23 with 135.

Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for the Avalanche, who were without forward Nazem Kadri (finger) and defenseman Cale Makar (upper body). Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 28 shots.

Tyson Gross scored his first career NHL goal with 2:52 remaining to cut the lead to 2-1. Gross scored again moments later but the Avalanche successfully challenged for offsides to negate the tying goal. MacKinnon sealed it with an empty-net score with 55 seconds left.

Dustin Wolf was solid in net and stopped 38 shots. It was quite a contrast to the game on March 30, when Wolf was pulled in the first period of a 9-2 rout by Colorado.

Brent Burns had an assist to give him 34 points this season. The 41-year-old Burns ties Nicklas Lidstrom (2011-12) for the second-most points in a season by a blue liner age 40 or older in NHL history.

Calgary was without forward Blake Coleman, who returned to Dallas for the birth of their child. In addition, defenseman Kevin Bahl went back to Calgary for evaluation for a lower-body injury.

Flames: At Seattle on Saturday to finish a six-game trip.

Avalanche: Host Vegas on Saturday.

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Calgary Flames center Morgan Frost, left, loses control of the puck to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Nick Blankenburg in the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor, left, checks Calgary Flames defenseman Olli Maatta, right, in the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Calgary Flames left wing Victor Olofsson, front left, pursues the puck with Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) in the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee, front, puts a shot on Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood in the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dylan Guenther scored his 39th goal of the season, Clayton Keller had three assists to reach 56 and the Utah Mammoth beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.

Utah (42-30-6), which has won seven of 10, can clinch the franchise's first playoff berth in its second season if the Anaheim Ducks beat the San Jose Sharks later Thursday. The Mammoth sit in the first Western Conference wild card spot with 90 points and have a six-point lead over Nashville.

Kailer Yamamoto, Nick Schmaltz and captain Lawson Crouse also scored for Utah, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 29 shots.

Erik Haula had Carolina's goal and Juuse Saros made 23 saves.

Yamamoto, who only played 12 NHL games last season, scored his 12th goal to open the scoring with 5:33 to go in the first period. He deflected in a puck off a cross-crease pass from Guenther for his second goal in the last three games.

Schmaltz scored his 31st goal — and fifth in his last five games — on a power play 5:35 into the second for a 2-0 lead. Keller slid the puck across the crease to Schmaltz at the back door.

Crouse, who had 20 points all of last season, scored his 22nd goal early in the third for a 3-0 lead.

Guenther's goal made it six straight games Utah has scored at least four times.

Haula scored on the power play for Nashville midway through the third after Vejmelka stopped the first 22 shots he faced.

Nashville defenseman Roman Josi was a late scratch after participating in warmups with an upper-body injury.

Nashville, which wrapped up its final trip of the regular season, returns home for three more games and will host the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.

Utah wraps a three-game homestand on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

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Utah Mammoth center Clayton Keller (9) shoots the puck to win the game against the Edmonton Oilers during overtime of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)