The Canucks won the Pacific Division after defeating the Calgary Flames 4-1

Thatcher Demko made 39 saves in her return from a knee injury and the host Vancouver Canucks defeated the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Tuesday to claim the Pacific Division title.

Demko was injured in Vancouver's 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on March 9 and missed 14 games.

The Canucks (50-22-9) got a goal and an assist from Tyler Myers, while Nils Hoaglander, Dakota Joshua and JT Miller also scored.

Brayden Pachal responded midway through the third period for the Flames (37-39-5), and Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 of 31 shots.

It's the first time Vancouver has finished as the top team in its division since 2013.

The Canucks are still chasing the Stars for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but need a win over the Jets on Thursday and a Dallas loss to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday to accomplish the feat.

Miller scored Markstrom with 15:02 left in the third to make it 4-1 with his 37th goal of the season.

Marker extended Miller's point streak to 11 games, with four goals and 10 assists.

Group MVP for a reason. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/8w5p5TShXQ

— X – Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 17, 2024

“JT Mill-er!” After the goal, the entire Rogers Arena erupted.

Pachal beat Demko on Calgary's 33rd shot of the night and sent the puck through traffic and into the top corner of the net. The goal — Pachal's second of the season — cut Calgary's deficit to 3-1 at the 8:35 mark of the third period.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes helped get the Flames off the board about three minutes into the game when Jonathan Huberdeau's shot on goal went through the goalie's pads and Hughes swept it over the goal line.

Hoaglander got a tantrum in the middle of the second when he pushed Pachal in the chest and Pachal jerked his head back in response.

Tensions erupted in front of the benches, including a clash between Vancouver's Conor Garland – five-foot-eight – and Calgary's six-foot-eight Adam Klapka – where Garland was nearly thrown into the flares seat.

Garland and Klapka were sent off for fouls, and Hoaglander was sent to the box for cross-checking.

Demko made one of his best saves of the night on the ensuing penalty kill, robbing Nazem Kadri hard, before collapsing and rolling onto his back to smother the rebound.

Earlier, the Canucks took a 3-0 lead when Joshua beat Markstrom's stick side with a shot from inside the faceoff circle. It was the winger's 18th goal of the season.

Hoaglander registered his 24th of the campaign at 13:28 on Elias Pettersson's first feed.

READ MORE: BC's Celebrini on final list of NHL draft prospect rankings.

The star center looked poised for a shot on net, but instead made a quick pass to Hoaglander from the top of the crease, and Hoaglander fired it past Markstrom to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead.

Vancouver got on the board with a shorthanded count 98 seconds earlier after Joshua was called for an elbow.

Teddy Bluger fed Myers an up-ice pass, and the big defenseman slid into the Flames zone unmarked, then fired a shot past Markstrom from the high hash marks. His fifth goal of the season put the Canucks up 1-0 at the 12-minute mark.

ARMS AND FEET

Both Calgary and Vancouver were 0-for-2 on the power play. … Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington played his 200th game of the regular season. … Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov turned 29 on Tuesday.

NEXT UP

Canucks: Finish the regular season by visiting the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

Flames: Host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

Gemma Carstens-Smith, The Canadian Press