Mikael Backlund’s Calgary Flames eye crucial win against Pavel Dorofeyev’s Vegas Golden Knights

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Apr 15, 2025, 23:25 IST

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The beleaguered Calgary Flames are going into battle against the surging Vegas Golden Knights with Mikael Backlund in the vanguard. This is a critical Western Division conflict in which playoff hopes hang in the balance: Calgary gets up for a game at home, while Vegas fine-tunes its form. It is a must-win game at the Saddledome for bragging rights, points, and postseason dreams.

Mikael Backlund’s Calgary Flames eye crucial win against Pavel Dorofeyev’s Vegas Golden Knights

Image Via Getty

It's a pretty important game for the Calgary Flames at home tonight-versus the Vegas Golden Knights, aiming for survival in the playoff race. As for Mikael Backlund, he has done quite well as part of a much more complete effort recently, while Pavel Dorofeyev is still strutting his stuff for Vegas. The bottom line: This game could be carnage in terms of points earned or lost down the road for either of these two combatants.

Pavel Dorofeyev's scoring surge meets Mikael Backlund's leadership in huge western conference showdown

The visiting Vegas Golden Knights have booked their tickets to the playoffs but have some errands very much left to run. With 49 wins and eyeing a possible franchise-matching 51-victory season, the Golden Knights and their cadre of high-octane scorers, including Pavel Dorofeyev with 33 goals, and Tomas Hertl, who has hit the 30-goal mark once again this year, intend to keep their onslaught rolling on their opponents. Jack Eichel has led the squad in points, but with three games missed, the torch now falls on the many rising stars of Vegas.

NHL Highlights | Golden Knights vs. Flames - April 5, 2025

Mikael Backlund, back from injury and strong in form, rolled heavily in the Flames' favor in this crunch period last week, scoring five points in five games. A run of at least one point in every game for the last six, along with a record of 9-2-3 in their last 14, speaks of an upbeat atmosphere ensured by head coach Huska, who is adamant the Flames will seize their momentum from strength at home. Jay Calgary has been evident in Pushkin with seven points from the previous five Saddledome-hosted encounters against Vegas.
Calgary, meanwhile, has additionally lent a vision to the future by signing NCAA stars Arsenii Sergeev and Carter King, the latter being a local asset also expected to benefit their AHL affiliate.
Farther away from Calgary, the out-of-town scoreboard will also see action with Minnesota playing the last game of the regular season tonight, as are the Blues. For the Flames' postseason hopes to stay alive, they need results to go their way.
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In this face-off between Mikael Backlund's Flames and Pavel Dorofeyev's Golden Knights points come second to pride, potential, and playoff aspirations. Yet again, the mettle of the Calgarians will be tested as they forge a path to stay in the hunt for the playoffs and keep their destiny within their own hands.

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TOI Sports Desk

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