Calgary Flames' playoff odds are slim but not impossible
The Calgary Flames just don’t seem to go away.
Playing what felt like a must-win game last night, the Flames entered the third period trailing one of the NHL’s best, the Colorado Avalanche, 2-0. They had shown almost no signs of life through the opening 40 minutes, but, in their typical resilient fashion, were able to get things tied up in regulation before winning in a shootout. Instead of a loss that would have felt like a season-ender, the Flames’ push for a playoff spot remains intact.
The Flames have been playing some relatively good hockey as of late, going 5-3-2 over their last 10 outings. The issue for them is that the St. Louis Blues, whom they are tracking down for the final wild-card position, have won nine in a row.
The Blues’ blazing-hot stretch means that even with last night’s win, the Flames sit five points back of a playoff spot. It isn’t quite as daunting of a gap as it sounds, however, as Calgary does have two games in hand.
NHL.com
The Flames must play their best stretch of hockey over their remaining nine games, the first of which will come tonight against the Utah Hockey Club.
Of the Flames’ nine remaining games, four will come against playoff teams: the Vegas Golden Knights (who they play twice), Minnesota Wild, and LA Kings. They will also take on the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks twice, in addition to Utah this evening.
As for the Blues, they will play three playoff teams over their remaining seven games: the Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, and Edmonton Oilers. Their other four outings will be against the Detroit Red Wings (tonight), Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken, and Utah.
Based on MoneyPuck’s odds, the Flames currently have a 22.7 per cent chance of making the postseason, while the Blues sit at a much more promising 85.4 per cent. That said, if the Flames can pick up a win tonight, their odds can increase to 33.4 per cent, proving just how pivotal this outing is.
What adds an even more interesting element to all of this is that the Wild may be catchable. They currently sit six points ahead of the Flames while having played two more games. They have a very favourable schedule, however, with the Dallas Stars being the only playoff team they go up against in their final seven outings.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks are still lurking in the shadows as well. They are in desperation mode at this point, trailing the Blues by six points with just one game in hand. MoneyPuck is giving them just a 7.7 per cent chance of getting in, meaning they are not only going to need to play some outstanding hockey over their eight remaining games, but will need some help as well.