The 2019 Playoff Chase: The race tightens

The Western Conference is a bit of a jumble right now. There are a handful of good teams, and then there is a giant mess of teams that might be able to squeak into the playoffs. The Calgary Flames are among those good teams, but things are getting a bit tight within the Western race.

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

The Flames will clinch a playoff berth when the ninth place team (currently Vancouver) cannot pass them mathematically. Presently they’re 18 points up on the Canucks, but both teams have a lot of hockey left to play.

The Athletic’s projections right now have the playoff cut-line in the Western Conference at around 87 points, so seven Flames wins should be about enough to clinch.

The Flames would clinch when the second place team, currently the Sharks, can’t catch them. Obviously that’s quite a ways away. For now, they’re just two points up on the Sharks with a game in hand.

The Flames have a lead in the Western Conference, though it’s tenuous. They lead the Jets and Sharks by just two points.

The Flames are now nine points behind Tampa Bay. They can try to reel them in when they play them next week in Tampa. They have their work cut out for them, obviously.