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The Playoff Chase: 10 weeks to go
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski/USA Today Sports
Ryan Pike
Jan 30, 2020, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 30, 2020, 02:14 EST
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The Calgary Flames have not made the playoffs in consecutive seasons in over a decade. Despite some uneven play this season, they’re in a decent position to change that.
Welcome to our ongoing look at the playoff race in the Western Conference.

The Pacific (in a snazzy table!)

GP
Pct.
Pts
Reg W
ROW
This weekend
Canucks (P1)
51
.608
62
23
26
2/1 @ NYI, 2/2 @ CAR
Oilers (P2)
50
.580
58
22
24
1/31 vs STL, 2/1 @ CGY
Flames (P3)
52
.567
59
17
21
2/1 vs EDM
Coyotes (WC1)
52
.548
57
19
21
1/30 vs LA, 2/1 vs CHI
Golden Knights (WC2)
52
.548
57
19
22
1/31 @ CAR, 2/1 @ NSH
Sharks
52
.462
48
16
20
2/1 vs TBL
Ducks
50
.450
45
14
16
1/31 vs TBL, 2/1 @ LA
Kings
51
.402
41
13
18
1/30 @ ARZ, 2/1 vs ANA

Notable Central teams

GP
Pct.
Pts
Reg W
ROW
This weekend
Predators
49
.541
53
20
22
1/30 @ NJ, 2/1 vs VGK
Blackhawks
51
.529
54
18
22
2/1 @ ARZ
Jets
51
.529
54
18
22
1/31 vs BOS, 2/1 vs. STL
Wild
50
.520
52
21
22
2/1 vs BOS
The tiebreakers are, in order:
  1. Points percentage.
  2. Regulation wins.
  3. Regulation and overtime wins (ROW).
  4. Wins of any kind.
  5. Points earned in head-to-head games between tied teams. (If they’ve played an uneven amount of games head-to-head, the first “extra” home game is thrown out.)
  6. Goal differential.
  7. Goals for.
Typically-speaking, it’s rare that tiebreakers go further than a couple levels down. But the “regulation wins” distinction is new this season, and the idea is to de-emphasize the shootout.

The race

Right now things are, to be blunt, pretty jam-packed. After Wednesday’s win, the Flames are two points up on Edmonton but the Oilers have a lead (for now) in points percentage because they have two games-in-hand. Saturday’s game could be huge, as the Oilers could draw even (or pass them) or potentially fall four points behind.
Beyond that, the Pacific Division has (for now) five playoff spots. The three top Central teams – St. Louis, Colorado and Dallas – are basically locked in, so it’s now a race for the three Pacific spots and the two wild-card spots. There are six teams fighting for the two wild-card spots; for now, the Pacific teams have a slight edge.
Everybody strap in, this is going to be a long and bumpy ride to the finish.

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