We’re at a point where the odds of making the dance are getting slim, but there is a chance.
Let’s quickly look at what needs to go right.
The Record The on-ice product has been acceptable of late and yet the results, on the other hand, have not. Four straight losses and two of a possible eight points is just another rock bottom for a team constantly beset by gut punches this season.
With 20 games left and 67 points on the season, the Flames will have to secure around 30 of a possible 40 points — a tall task for a team that hasn’t won three in a row since the first three games.
Earlier in the week we examined the 2012 LA Kings And how on March 2, 2012, the Kings had a .547 points percentage. Similar to the Flames’ .549 as of Thursday. An 11-4-3 run took the Kings back into contention. From there they went on to lose only four games on their way to a Stanley Cup victory.
With the loss to Toronto, the Flames are currently at .540. They need to start putting up consistent wins to have any hope.
Unless.
The Rivals The Jets are in a bit of a tailspin. Both they and the Flames have three wins in their last ten — but Calgary has two more overtime points.
You hope that the Flames would make the playoffs on their own merit, but the Jets could certainly lose out. On that note.
The Oilers Could Win Tonight Winnipeg and Edmonton play the second half of a back-to-back home-and-home tonight in Winnipeg. The Jets made a late push to get the game to 6-3, but the first five tallies were recorded by Edmonton. The Oilers may do their Southern rivals a favour by putting up another win.
If Calgary were to beat Minnesota tonight and Winnipeg loses to Edmonton — that five-point lead is now three points. The Flames play the Jets on April 5, so mark that one on your calendar.
Speaking of Minnesota.
The Wild Tonight’s opposition has been playing a Flames-style game of late — with much better results. 10 of their last 11 games have been one-goal games. Their record is 8-1-2 over those 11 games.
Just a caveat here. The Wild have played five playoff teams in their last ten. Their record in those games? Just 2-1-2.
In any case, tonight should be pretty exciting. This will be game one of a home-and-home with the Wild and two losses would likely spell the end of the Flames’ playoff hopes.
That is unless Winnipeg loses their next two.
Capping the Kap Wild star winger, Kirill Kaprizov, comes into tonight with his tires fully pumped. The Wild have played three bottom-feeders in their last five games and the 25-year-old from Novokuznetsk has taken full advantage.
In two games against the Blue Jackets and one against the Canucks, he has six goals. Zero goals in two games against the Leafs and Islanders.
Tough Circumstances While the Wild may look great on paper compared to the Flames’ four straight losses — it’s worth considering that Calgary has faced Boston, Toronto, Vegas and Colorado in those games. That is some serious opposition.
Goaltending It was nice to see Jacob Markstrom start to play how he needs to against the Maple Leafs. With any luck, the NHL’s Toronto-based goal review team won’t gift a theoretical goal to the Wild tonight.
Markstrom’s .941 effort on the night was his third-best of the season in that category.
A New Pairing Calgary’s third pairing tonight might be a wild ride. Both Nikita Zadorov and Troy Stecher are known for their defensive slip-ups. In theory, both players can step up into the rush to help the offence — There just isn’t a lot of room for growing pains when the two teams tonight will be emphasizing keeping the score tight.
Calgary Flames Projected Lineup Courtesy of Pat Steinberg. @Fan960Steinberg
Dube-Lindholm-Toffoli Pelletier-Kadri-Huberdeau Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman Lucic-Lewis-Duehr Weegar-Andersson Hanifin-Tanev Zadorov-Stecher
Markstrom Vladar
Minnesota Wild Projected Lineup Courtesy of dailyfaceoff.com.
Kaprizov – Hartman – Zuccarello Johansson – Eriksson Ek – Boldy Foligno – Steel – Gaudreau Shaw – Dewar – Reaves
Middleton – Spurgeon Goligoski – Dumba Merrill – Klingberg
Gustavsson Fleury
Game time is 8:00 pm MST. Catch the broadcast on Sportsnet West, CBC or City TV in Canada. Bally Sports in the States.
Trevor Neufeld
@Trevor_Neufeld
Stats via naturalstattrick.com and nhl.com.