Calgary's playoff hopes ride on defeating three beatable opponents before hitting the all-star break
The Calgary Flames management group said not long ago the all-star break would be a time when they amp up the evaluation process for the team’s plans going forward, mainly by the March 8 trade deadline.
Three games remain before that tipping point, and those tilts will finish the six-game homestand in which Calgary opened with a win but has suffered consecutive losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers.
The Flames (21-20-5, 47 points) awoke Monday morning four points out of a playoff position and in a cluster of teams jostling for position and desperately needing a perfect week.
Here is a look at this week’s visitors to the Stampede City.
Tuesday: Versus St. Louis Blues (22-20-2, 46 points)
The Blues, who are one point back of the Flames but with two games in hand, snapped a three-game winless skid with a 3-0 home-ice victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday in the second half of a home-and-home set.
St. Louis has an 18-2-0 record when scoring first and 9-6-1 record since coach Craig Berube was fired and replaced by Drew Bannister. In those 16 games, Jordan Kyrou has collected seven goals and 16 points.
The Flames and Blues, along with Philadelphia Flyers, are tied for second in the league with 10 short-handed goals, one back of the 11 posted by the Dallas Stars.
The Flames have won only two of the last 11 meetings.
Hurting the Blues is their road record, a disappointing 8-12-1 mark.
Thursday: Versus Columbus Blue Jackets (14-22-9, 37 points)
Johnny Hockey returns to Calgary for the second time since leaving as a free agent. The cellar-dwelling Blue Jackets kick off a five-game road trip Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers before visiting the Flames.
The Blue Jackets, who suffered a 4-1 home loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday, are spiralling through a lost season … again. Columbus is on a 3-5-4 skid and headed toward high odds in the draft lottery.
As for Johnny Gaudreau, he has collected four assists in the last three games, but has netted one goal in 12 outings. In a second struggling season since signing in Columbus as a free agent, he has seven goals and 29 points in 45 games, and even worse pace that he collected in the 2022-23 campaign.
The Blue Jackets won the first meeting of the season, a 3-1 game in Columbus in October. Calgary has won seven of the last nine clashes.
Saturday: Versus Chicago Blackhawks (14-31-2, 30 points)
Unfortunately for Calgary hockey fans, the lone visit of the Blackhawks this season will not bring hot-shot rookie Connor Bedard to the Stampede City while he is on the shelf due to a fractured jaw.
The injury-riddled Blackhawks, who sit last in the Central Division, have only three victories — two of them in extra time — in 13 outings (3-9-1) and have been defeated in 17 consecutive road games after Monday's 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks to kick off a road trip.
The game is an opportunity for the Flames to somewhat avenge their embarrassing 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks a couple of weeks ago.
That said, the Flames have lost four consecutive games against the Blackhawks.
