NHL scores 2015: Flames keep blazing toward playoffs with Detroit win

Expectations mean nothing to Calgary.

Mar 7, 2015, 2:00 PM UTC

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

If you're still waiting for the Calgary Flames to regress back to last season's lottery team version of themselves, don't hold your breath.

Calgary continued its improbable run to the postseason with a huge 5-2 win in Detroit on Friday. The Flames have gone 6-3-1 over their last 10 games, an important stretch of the season, as they try to hold off teams climbing the standings below them. That’s impressive on a number of levels.

Both the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings have picked up at least 14 points over the last two weeks and still haven't been able to catch the Flames. Of course, Calgary benefits from having two of the league's cellar dwellers (Edmonton and Arizona) in its division. The Kings are the main competition, and they sit just two points behind the Flames for the final Pacific playoff berth.

History tells us the Kings will eventually keep rising and overtake the Flames. But so far Calgary has managed to defy any previous notion we may have had about their chances this year. Is it too much of a stretch to think they can hold off the defending champions and stay out of the wild card mess? I don’t think it is. They’ve quashed every doubt up until this point. Might as well assume they’ll keep that up until the first round.

Scores

Minnesota Wild 3, Carolina Hurricanes 1

Columbus Blue Jackets 3, New Jersey Devils 2

Calgary Flames 5, Detroit Red Wings 2

Ottawa Senators 3, Buffalo Sabres 2

Chicago Blackhawks 2, Edmonton Oilers 1 (SO)

Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Anaheim Ducks 2

3 things we learned

1. Minnesota keeps knocking down road wins and knocking on the playoffs door.

If the key to winning a wild card berth race is consistency, the Minnesota Wild are playing a winning strategy. The Wild’s win in Carolina on Friday was their sixth straight road win in a 10-game stretch, during which they’ve gone 8-2-0. Minnesota needed a late run to make the playoffs, and it has more than answered that bell. After Friday, Minnesota sits five points ahead of ninth-place Los Angeles.

2. Patric Hornqvist is the Penguins’ most underrated player.

Oh, I'm sure those who have paid attention to the Pens this season are well aware of the impact the gritty winger has had this season. But on a team with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it's understandable if many haven't recognized his exploits. His game in Anaheim on Friday perfectly encapsulated his impact for Pittsburgh on any given night. He screened goalies, scored from dirty areas and wore down the Ducks as Pittsburgh attacked. It's easy to see why he has 20 goals this year.

3. The Oilers gave Chicago a scare.

Oilers fans must live for the moments when their team makes fans of elite teams sweat for two periods before inevitably coughing up the lead and losing the game. That’s precisely what happened on Friday. Chicago struggled to score on the Oilers for the better part of three periods before eventually winning in overtime.