CALGARY, Alberta -- Sean Monahan ripped home his 31st goal of the season to break a third-period deadlock and give the Calgary Flames a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night.

The teams traded goals twice before Monahan made a nifty move to shake a defender and fire a top-corner blast past Mike Smith to put the Flames ahead at 9:26 of the third period.

The win keeps the Flames (44-29-7) ahead of the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division playoff race and means Calgary can clinch its first playoff berth since 2009 with a regulation victory over Los Angeles on Thursday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

NHL rookie scoring leader Johnny Gaudreau and David Jones also scored for the Flames, who will finish the regular season Saturday against another playoff contender, the Winnipeg Jets, who beat the St. Louis Blues 1-0 earlier on Tuesday.

The Coyotes (24-48-8), who saw their modest one-game win streak snapped, got goals from Craig Cunningham and B.J. Crombeen in the loss. Smith had a strong game in goal despite the loss, making 29 saves.

A gaffe by goalie Jonas Hiller temporarily cost the Flames a lead in the third. Hiller came out to play the puck but was checked by Kyle Chipchura, who fired a pass across to Cunningham, who deposited the puck in the empty net. It was a bad mistake by Hiller, who also had his pocket picked in the first period by Joe Vitale on the power play, although the Coyotes center rang his chance off the post.

The visitors got on the board with 2:51 remaining in the second period by buzzing the Flames zone. After Flames defenseman Kris Russell blocked a shot and then stayed sprawled on the ice, Crombeen bounced a shot past Hiller to tie the game, 1-1.

Early in the third, the Flames took the lead after a spirited opening few minutes to the frame. Flames left-winger Michael Ferland blasted a shot over a defender that Smith stopped, but Jones pounced on the rebound and roofed it for a 2-1 edge.

On a first-period power play, the Flames got on the board. Defenseman Dennis Wideman ripped a one-timer that Smith blocked, but the rebound bounced right to Gaudreau. He slapped home his 23rd of the season, his eighth on the power play, which leads all NHL rookies.

NOTES: Flames G Brad Thiessen made his debut after getting called up following the injury to G Karri Ramo on Saturday. Thiessen, who appeared in 32 AHL games this season, last played in the NHL for Pittsburgh in the 2011-12 season when he posted a 3-1 mark in five games. ... Two Coyotes prospects, G Marek Langhamer (Medicine Hat Tigers) and G Brendan Burke (Calgary Hitmen), will meet in the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs. ... The Coyotes take on the Canucks in Vancouver on Thursday night before wrapping up their season Saturday at home against the Anaheim Ducks. This is the third consecutive season the Coyotes will miss the postseason ... The Flames went with the same lineup they used in Edmonton on Saturday, which meant fans are still waiting for the debut of 2014 first-round draft pick Sam Bennett, a center who joined the team last week from the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs.