A Flames win tonight will put them right back in the playoff hunt
With wins in two straight, the Calgary Flames are all of a sudden once again in the running for a playoff spot.
They’ll be looking to make it three straight tonight, as they are on the road to faceoff against the Nashville Predators. As it turns out, this game is particularly big when it comes to the playoff picture.
Though plenty of season remains, the Flames currently trail the Predators by seven points for the top wild-card position in the Western Conference. A win would put them to within five points, while also having a game in hand.
The team that they could get even closer to with a win tonight is the Arizona Coyotes. The desert dogs are holding the second wild-card spot with 40 points, just three ahead of the Flames ahead of tonight’s outing. A win for the Flames would have them just one point outside of the playoff picture.
While the players certainly think so, fans are divided on whether this Flames team making the playoffs is a good thing. Given their struggles a season ago, plenty of the fan base was hoping to see the team struggle this year in hopes of getting a high draft pick and retooling for the future. That retooling would include seeing pending UFAs such as Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin dealt ahead of the trade deadline for future assets. That said, moving them may be a tough ask for general manager Craig Conroy if they find themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot in March.
Of course, the trade deadline date of March 8 is still two months away, and plenty can happen in that time. For right now, the Flames are focused on the present, starting with tonight’s game against the Predators. A win tonight would help them start the New Year out 2-0, improving their record to 17-16-5. Puck drop is set for 6 pm MT.
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