CALGARY, Alberta -- Mikkel Boedker scored the game-deciding goal in the shootout to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday.

Boedker was the lone player to score in the shootout. He made a move to his forehand before tucking a backhand shot past Flames goalie Joni Ortio.

Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie and Carl Soderberg scored for the Avalanche (37-31-4), who pulled three points ahead of the Minnesota Wild for the final wild-card playoff spot in the NHL's Western Conference despite the setback.

Making his fifth straight start in net for Colorado, goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 30 saves to improve his record to 26-18-3.

Matt Stajan, with his first goal in 30 games, Mark Giordano and Freddie Hamilton scored for the Flames (30-35-6), while Lance Bouma had a pair of assists.

Ortio, who started his seventh game in a row for the Flames, finished with 24 saves.

Trailing 3-2 after two periods, the Avalanche drew even at 9:09 of the third when Soderberg swatted a loose puck in the crease past Ortio, who had stopped a pair of shots by Shawn Matthais.

Colorado had a great chance to win it in overtime when Ortio was penalized for tripping Jarome Iginla in front of his net with 1:32 remaining on the clock, but the Avs were unable to capitalize during the man advantage.

The Flames jumped out to a 3-1 lead early in the second period thanks to back-to-back short-handed goals by Giordano and Freddie Hamilton. Giordano took a pass from Josh Jooris and beat Varlamov with a shot to the top corner, blocker side at 5:17 before Hamilton one-timed a pass from Bouma into the Colorado net just 30 seconds later.

Barrie then pulled the Avalanche back within a goal at 8:33 of the second when he floated a shot to the net from a sharp angle that glanced off Giordano's leg on its way into the net behind Ortio.

Playing in his 100th career NHL game, defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka assisted on a goal by Stajan at 10:40 of the first period to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. Jokipakka's hard pass from the point deflected off Stajan's right skate and past Varlamov.

The Avalanche drew even at 17:19 of the first when Johnson converted a nice cross-crease pass from Mikkel Boedker.

NOTES: Avalanche C Matt Duchene sat out the game because of a knee injury (day-to-day) he suffered during Colorado's 3-1 road victory in Vancouver on Wednesday. ... D Chris Bigras returned to Colorado's lineup after missing four games because of a concussion. ... Avalanche LW Gabriel Landeskog sat out the final contest of a three-game suspension for cross-checking Anaheim Ducks D Simon Despres on March 9. ... D Zach Redmond was the lone healthy scratch for Colorado. ... While D TJ Brodie returned to Calgary's lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury, the Flames lost D Dennis Wideman for the rest of the season because of a triceps injury he sustained Wednesday at home during a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. ... Flames C Sam Bennett missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury, while G Jonas Hiller was a healthy scratch. ... Avalanche coach Patrick Roy chose to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen.