The Calgary Flames face the Colorado Avalanche tonight in a game which could decide which of the teams qualifies for the NHL play-offs.
The Flames currently trail the Avalanche by just two points for the eighth and final play-off spot in the Western Conference following their 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday night.
"It's going to be the biggest game of the year," Rene Bourque, the Calgary forward, said.
"They've been struggling so they're definitely going to be ready for us, but we've played well there this year.
"This is the time of the year everyone wants to play hockey and this is when the best players have to be your best players."
Bourque opened the scoring for Calgary against Phoenix with his 25th goal of the season, beating Jason LaBarbera on a powerplay in the second period.
Ales Kotalik made it 2-0 early in the third, and Lee Stempniak scored for Phoenix with 6:52 left.
Things looked bleak for the Flames last Saturday after a 5-0 drubbing in Boston left them six points behind the Avalanche.
"We're definitely in a better position now than we were on the weekend," Bourque said.
"It's funny how it works, two games ago, we're six points out and four days later, we're right there within one game of tying them. We got a little help tonight and we're going to continue to need it."
Colorado have a game in hand and would have the benefit of the tie-breaker (most wins) between the two teams.
"Nothing is over until it's over," Kotalik said.
"Right now we're in a pretty good position, we got a little help today, and it feels good to go into Colorado and hopefully we can come up with a big effort."
The Coyotes have one victory in their last five games after winning nine games in a row.
Elsewhere, Steven Stamkos scored his 46th goal to edge within one of NHL leader Sidney Crosby as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-0.
"It was pretty bad. There's no sugarcoating it or trying to make something positive out of it, we didn't do anything that was positive," said Crosby, the Penguins captain.
"We weren't ready to play. We thought we were going to play a team that laid down and isn't going to go to the play-offs, and we were just going to show up.
"Clearly, it didn't happen."
Dan Bylsma, the Pittsburgh coach, was so unhappy with the display that he made the Penguins practice at 8.30am yesterday on what was originally supposed to be a day off for the team.
* With agencies
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Company%20Profile
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Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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The%20specs
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RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.