Barons: OKC snaps two-game skid behind Teemu Hartikainen, Yann Danis

The Barons took advantage, getting magnificent goaltending from Yann Danis and a spark from three players returning from the NHL to pull out a 2-1 win over the Aeros in front of 5,550 fans.

“It's going to be those types of games,” Danis said of the postseason. “It's going to be physical, it's going to be close. We're going to have to win those 1-0, 2-1 games. For them, it was a playoff game and for us also, because we definitely want to build some momentum.”

The win moved the Barons (44-21-9) a step closer to clinching the top spot in the Western Conference.

With OKC's win and Toronto's loss at Abbotsford on Friday night, the Barons need just one standings point in their final two games -- or for Toronto to lose Sunday at Abbotsford -- to clinch the Western Conference's best record. That would give Oklahoma City home-ice advantage throughout the conference side of the postseason.

The Barons play at 7 p.m. Saturday at Texas before finishing the regular season at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in San Antonio.

Danis has been the top goaltender in the AHL this season and showed it again Friday night against Houston.

Early, he came up big in turning away a long 5-on-3 power play chance by Houston.

Then with less than five minutes remaining and the Barons up 2-1, Danis found himself out of position but whipped his stick across the ice to tip the puck away to end what proved as the Aeros' last solid chance to tie.