St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Marian Gaborik scored twice in the third period to boost Minnesota over the Flames, 3-1, as the Wild captured their first-ever Northwest Division title.

Despite the loss, Calgary still clinched a playoff spot as Vancouver was eliminated from postseason contention later on Thursday following a 2-1 home loss to Edmonton.

Gaborik had a three-point night and Todd Fedoruk also scored for Minnesota, which will finish as the third-seeded team in the Western Conference. The Wild, which entered the league in 2000, has 97 points, four ahead of Colorado, with just a game remaining for each team.

Pavol Demitra had a pair of assists in Minnesota's fourth straight victory, which had temporarily stopped the Flames from clinching a playoff spot. Niklas Backstrom made 26 saves, and Wild coach Jacques Lemaire recorded his 500th career victory.

"Those were two big goals to get in the win and to clinch the division," Gaborik said. "It's a great feeling for everyone and to have the banner up there. It feels great."

Calgary is in seventh place in the West with 92 points, one ahead of Nashville, which won at home against St. Louis on Thursday. The Flames have one game remaining - versus the Canucks on Saturday, while the Predators finish at Chicago on Friday. However, the Flames will go Vancouver knowing they have secured a postseason berth. That's because Vancouver has 88 points with one game remaining.

Daymond Langkow had the lone goal for the Flames, losers in three of their last four games. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 23 shots in defeat.

Gaborik's 41st goal of the season came 61 seconds into the third and put the Wild ahead 2-1. Demitra sent an outlet pass to Gaborik, who got behind defenseman Adrian Aucoin and skated to the left circle before snapping the puck past the glove of Kiprusoff.

It looked as if Gaborik scored again a short time later, but officials ruled the whistle had already blown despite the puck being tucked past Kiprusoff at the right post. A video review seemed to show the whistle came after the disc had crossed the goal line, but it was ruled no-goal to the dismay of the crowd at Xcel Energy Center.

Gaborik then made it a two-goal lead at the 13:11 mark, three seconds before a power play was set to expire. With Cory Sarich in the box for tripping, Gaborik fired a shot from the left circle and the puck found its way past Kiprusoff, who was screened in front by Fedoruk.

Backstrom stopped all 20 shots he faced over the final two periods.

The Flames took advantage of a holding penalty on Eric Belanger and went ahead 2:41 into the game on Langkow's 30th goal of the season. The power-play marker came off a loose puck in front with Langkow firing the disc over a fallen Backstrom.

Fedoruk's power-play goal just over three minutes later tied the game. With Dustin Boyd in the penalty box for high-sticking, Demitra sent the puck from behind the net, on the right side, in front to Fedoruk for a tip-in.

The Wild nearly went ahead with about 13 1/2 minutes left in the first, as Branko Radivojevic broke in and slid the puck from the right post under Kiprusoff's left leg, but the disc came to rest under the netminder.

The teams played to a stalemate in the second as Backstrom made 12 saves and Kiprusoff nine.