The Flames will take on the Canucks in their final game of the season

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One game left. Three stages. Sixty minutes.

The Calgary Flames can see the finish line. It may not have been the finish line they wanted to race to early in the season, but they will stumble Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks at the Saddledome.

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The focus immediately shifts to building for the future, with what potential can be uncovered in June's draft and whether or not GM Craig Conroy will be a player in free agency.

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With that in mind, it's hard to be too upset about the Flames falling 4-1 to the host Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

The Canucks are in first place in the Pacific Division and could still end up in the Western Conference. The Flames begin their long summer break on Thursday night.

The Flames made a push in the third period after Brayden Pachal made it 3-1, but it wasn't for much. The Canucks are a good team to play for right now.

“We're in a similar situation, it's never an easy situation,” Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson said. “They're playing for the division and we've got nothing to play for, so obviously they're going to sit back a bit and we're going to push, that's how the game goes sometimes. I think they did a good job of keeping us away from their net.”

It seemed like a long season for the Flames, who stayed in playoff contention until the trade deadline but ultimately fell out of contention after trading away their top-line center and three of their top six defensemen.

The boys in the dressing room showed courage and continued to work, but this campaign was not easy.

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Now everyone has another 60 minutes to go, and then the focus is on something better.

Ice chips

Tuesday's game against the Canucks marked Oliver Kylington's 200th career NHL game. That seems like an acknowledgment for any player, but especially for a guy like Killington who had to overcome a lot to get back on the ice after taking more than a season off to take care of his mental health … a way that makes sense, but things got tough in Vancouver on Tuesday night. Near the end of the second period, Nils Hoaglander had the most notable punch when he hit Brayden Pachal with his stick right in the upper chest. It was initially considered a major, but was reduced to two minutes after the referees had a better view of the replay. “I'm lucky he's 5-foot-3 or he would have punched me in the face,” Pachal joked when asked about the incident. Guys on both ends came to the defense of their teammates, with Adam Klapka and Conor Garland both committing fouls… While it never looked like the Flames would mount a heroic comeback, there were a few moments that changed the momentum. Jonathan Huberdeau looked like he would score early in the third period and the puck slipped past Thatcher Demko, but Quinn Hughes came up to clear it off the line at the last second. It was a performance by a guy who might be the best defenseman in the NHL this season.

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