The Calgary Flames remain in the hunt for the final Western Conference wild card spot, but they are clinging on for dear life.
On Saturday evening, the Flames fell to the Vancouver Canucks by way of a shootout, in what was the team's third-last game of the season.
In picking up one point, Calgary does remain just behind the Winnipeg Jets for that final spot, but its pulse is weakening.
As a matter of fact, both the Flames and the Nashville Predators are watching their postseason hopes fade as they clutch and grab for their respective life support machines.
Winnipeg's loss to Calgary on Wednesday opened up a whole new spread of playoff berth scenarios. But with the Jets taking care of business with the visiting Predators - by way of a 2-0 shutout on Saturday - and with the Flames unable to pick up both points in Vancouver, the Jets' chances are growing by the second.
“I mean it’s definitely more playoff-like than Game 1 of the regular season," Nikolaj Ehlers said following Saturday's victory. "But the last game against Calgary was a little more playoff-like, so that’s fine. We know what we need to do here the last three games. We will be ready for those.”
With the Flames, Jets and Predators all vying for a shot a the postseason, each team knows that there is only one spot left up for grabs.
Right now, it is looking as though that spot is Winnipeg's to lose.
Currently sitting at 91 points - one point ahead of Calgary with a single game in hand - the Jets can clinch a postseason berth with three points over their final three games, no matter what their competitors do.
Calgary, which has just two games remaining, needs to finish with more points than Winnipeg to make it into the playoffs, because the Jets own the first and second tiebreakers.
Nashville is in the same boat, except it trails its division rival by three points, with three games remaining.
While Jets play host to San Jose in their final home game of the season on Monday, the Flames and Predators will actually be duelling it out in Calgary at roughly the same time.
Having lost both games against the Sharks this season, the worst case scenario for the Jets would be a loss in regulation, followed by news of a three-point game in Calgary.
But in control of their own destiny, members of the Jets know that it could be as simple as a 'win and you're in' mentality that helps them reach the next level as the season comes to a close.
"We’ve had a pretty tough schedule up until that San Jose game on the road where we got a couple days off," said Mark Scheifele, whose 40th goal of the season proved to be the winner for the Jets on Saturday. "Nice to get rested, nice to get home in your own bed.
"Helly’s been fantastic. I think tonight was an easier one for him, but when we needed him he made the big saves. Hopefully we can give him a few more easy ones.”
Winnipeg will end the year on the road with stops in Minnesota and Colorado, while Calgary will also face the San Jose Sharks - a team to which the Flames have beat three times already on the season. Nashville will also face the Wild and Avalanche, albeit from Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee.