The 2019 Playoff Chase: Breathing room

After a slide just after the All-Star Break, the Calgary Flames have won a few games in a row. The race for playoff spots is tight, but they have a bit of breathing room.

(Playoff spot odds throughout these tables via Sports Club Stats.)

The Flames are 20 points up on the ninth place team. Vegas and Nashville have played a couple more games than everyone else right now, so the points race alone is a little deceiving.

The Athletic’s projections right now have the playoff cutline in the Western Conference at around 86 points.

The Flames are 12 points up on Vegas to cement home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

Third place in the Pacific projects to around 93 points right now.

The Flames are a point up on the Sharks (with a game in hand). This race is going to be tight probably until the very end of the season.

Second place in the Pacific projects to around 105 points right now.

As with the divisional race, it’s basically between the Flames and Sharks at the top. Nashville is deceptively high up here, as they’ve played a couple more games than everyone else.