The Calgary Flames need to beat the Pacific Division champions to keep their playoff hopes alive when the Vegas Golden Knights visit on Tuesday.
Calgary (39-27-14, 92 points) heads into the clash three points back of the Minnesota Wild for the Western Conference’s first wild-card position and two behind the St. Louis Blues for the second spot, therefore needing a hand elsewhere.
But the part the Flames can control is chalking up a victory, which at least gives them a chance to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. Calgary has two games remaining in the regular season, while the Blues and Wild have one apiece.
“It’s super exciting,” defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. “It’s a lot of fun playing these games. … We’ve been playing meaningful games, and it’s going to continue like that now. If we make playoffs, it just carries on.”
The Flames are trying to become the second team in NHL history to clinch a playoff berth after overcoming a five-point deficit in their final four games of the season. Only the 1958-59 Toronto Maple Leafs have managed that feat.
Calgary will complete the home portion of the regular season against Vegas after keeping its hopes alive with a 5-2 victory over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Sunday. The Flames broke open a tied game with a three-goal third period.
“There’s a lot of poise, a lot of poise in the dressing room,” said forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who had two assists in Sunday’s win. “Everybody’s pretty calm. I wouldn’t say everybody’s loose, but everybody’s talking to each other about what needs to be done better. We’re so confident in that third period in a tight game right now. We’ve been in that situation so many times.”
Vegas won the three previous meetings this season, the first two with shutout victories, followed by a 3-2 overtime game earlier this month.
The Golden Knights know where they sit in the Stanley Cup playoff bracket after clinching their fifth division title in eight seasons.
Vegas (49-22-9, 107 points) will meet the first wild-card squad in the opening round of the playoffs, but has a pair of road games beforehand. The Golden Knights will end the regular season with a game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
“Just keep building our game,” forward Brett Howden said of his team’s mindset. “Obviously the more important games are coming up around the corner, but you don’t want to let off the gas. We want to stick to our game plan, keep building and being ready for Game 1.”
The Golden Knights finished the home portion of their regular season with a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Noah Hanifin broke a 3-3 tie with 1:55 left in regulation and Ivan Barbashev added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
Finding that extra gear when it counted most is a good sign going forward for a club that is vying for a second Stanley Cup title in franchise history. The tasks of clinching a playoff spot and winning the division can be checked off.
“This is just the beginning,” coach Bruce Cassidy said of his team’s Pacific Division crown. “It’s good when you have high expectations and standards. That is a good thing. Pressure … we’ll welcome the pressure. That probably means you’re doing well in something, right? It means you’re playing in high-stakes games.”
–Field Level Media
