Flames kick off 2024 with an opportunity to pull closer to a wild-card spot, but falter and the direction becomes more and more clear
A busy week stands ahead of the Calgary Flames.
A crucial week, too.
With four games in six days — all on the road — the Flames (15-16-5, 35 points) are staring at an opportunity to make a statement whether they intend to be playoff-calibre contenders or pretenders.
As the season draws near to the midway point, the Flame are five points behind the Arizona Coyotes, who hold the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and six behind the Nashville Predators, who own the first position.
Calgary is also behind four other squads: the hard-charging Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Seattle Kraken and Minnesota Wild.
The Flames are 10 points in arrears of the Los Angeles Kings for third spot in the Pacific Division, so it’s hardly worth mentioning any possibility of catching them or the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks.
With their coming games, the Flames have an opportunity to pull themselves further into the mix. Struggle through them, though, and the gulf will grow, and the resolution to being a playoff team will move even closer to being a trade-deadline seller.
Here is a look at the oncoming clashes to kick off 2024.
Tuesday: At Minnesota Wild (16-15-4, 36 points)
The Wild ended 2023 with a pair of regulation-time losses to the Winnipeg Jets in a home-and-home set.
Minnesota has posted an 11-5-0 record since firing coach Dean Evason and replacing him with John Hynes, a run that includes a pair of victories over the Flames: 5-2 on Dec. 5 and a 3-2 shootout win in St. Paul, Minn., nine days later.
Minnesota is battling with another injury wave. Number-one goalie Filip Gustavsson and key forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Vinni Lettieri were all injured in Saturday’s game. The Wild are also without forward Mats Zuccarello and defenceman Jonas Brodin.
Marc-Andre Fleury, who played his 1,000th game on Sunday, is likely to be in goal and needs one victory to tie Patrick Roy for second all-time with 551 regular-season victories.
Of note, Minnesota’s penalty kill is 30th in the league and surrendered seven goals in the last six games.
Thursday: At Nashville Predators (20-16-1, 41 points)
After opening the season with five wins in their first 15 games, the Predators have surprisingly roared their way to the first wild-card spot.
However, it has been a tough go of late. A 3-2 shootout win over the Washington Capitals snapped a three-game winless skid. Even so, the Predators have only two victories in their last six games heading into Tuesday’s home clash with the Chicago Blackhawks.
This is the third and final meeting of the season. Calgary won a 4-2 game at home on Nov. 7, and lost a 4-2 clash in Nashville a couple of weeks later.
Calgary has one win in its last five visits to Music City.
By the way, Nashville’s penalty kill sits 25th in the league.
Saturday: At Philadelphia Flyers (19-12-5, 43 points)
Fresh of a 4-3 Calgary victory on New Year’s Eve — a game that was 2-1 with seven minutes remaining before a wacky race to the finish line — the second and final meeting of the season will be in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Flyers currently hold the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, but their grasp is becoming tenuous.
Philadelphia has only one win in five games (1-2-2) heading into a Tuesday night clash at the Edmonton Oilers to end a run of five consecutive road games that has not gone well.
Sunday: At Chicago Blackhawks (11-23-2, 24 points)
The Flames finally get their first live-and-in-person view of Connor McDavid.
The rookie sensation has collected 15 goals and 33 points in 36 games for the Blackhawks, but that is pretty much the only good news in Chicago.
Thanks to an 8-1 beatdown at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Sunday, the Blackhawks are on a 2-7-1 spiral that has them sitting 31st overall.
Last season, the Flames lost all three meetings with the Blackhawks, who finished 30th overall and won the draft lottery. The Flames would have made the playoffs with three more points.