Well, who ever said hockey was predictable? For almost two months, the conversation around the Western Conference playoff race has been fairly consistent. Seven teams were all but guaranteed a spot, while the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, and Utah Hockey Club battled it out for the final wild card position. No one could have predicted the Blues would win 11 games in a row, shooting up the standings to find themselves in the first wild-card spot.

You have to give the Blues credit. It’s difficult for a team to make a coaching change mid-season and still be in the playoff picture. Then, to go on a heater and win 11 straight? That’s tough to compete with. When was the last time the Blues went on a streak like this, you ask? It was February 2019, when they rattled off 11 consecutive wins to climb out of the basement of the standings and into a playoff conversation. We all remember how that season ended. Could the Blues be on their way to recreating that story?

The Wild, on the other hand, haven’t exactly been at their best during this same stretch. Over the past month, they’ve been hovering around an even split of wins and losses. They’ve been battling through injuries to key players like Joel Eriksson Ek and their top offensive weapon, Kirill Kaprizov. Both are expected to return soon, which should provide a much-needed boost as the team fights to stay in the playoff race.

The Wild’s remaining schedule isn’t particularly daunting. With six games left, they face just one sure-fire playoff team—the Dallas Stars on Sunday. Beyond that, they have match-ups against the San Jose Sharks next week and will close out their season against the Anaheim Ducks. What may have seemed like a meaningless game a week ago—the Flames and Wild meeting next Friday—could now prove to be a crucial battle.

For the Flames, a high draft pick is now far in the rear-view mirror it seems. It’s playoffs or bust at this point. Sitting five points back of the Wild with a game in hand, their remaining seven contests are all must-wins.

With a tough match-up against the Vegas Golden Knights on Hockey Night in Canada, the Flames will follow up with games against the Sharks and Ducks before that all-important clash with the Wild next Friday.

The Flames have been playing solid hockey lately, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, including a four-game win streak and a huge shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Nazem Kadri is finding the back of the net with ease, while both Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar have been reliable in goal, giving head coach Ryan Huska more flexibility.

The big question remains: Do the Flames have enough left in the tank to make that final push? The Blues seem like they may never lose again, and the Wild are set to get reinforcements. Perhaps it’s time for the Flames to call in some of their own. Zayne Parekh and the Saginaw Spirit are still in the OHL playoffs, so he may not be an option yet. But could newly signed prospect Aydar Suniev provide a spark? Or maybe Wranglers forward William Strömgren is the missing piece?

We’ve learned time and time again not to count the Flames out. They’ll grind out wins however they need to. Now, they just need to do it a few more times. With seven games left, this playoff race is shaping up to be a thrilling finish. Buckle up!