Thanks to a 3-0 shutout win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday evening, the Nashville Predators have continued to win their way into playoff consideration with the 2022-23 NHL season entering its final week.
With the Winnipeg Jets on the verge of a potentially historic collapse, both the Predators and Jets do remain in control of their own destiny. The other team competing closely - the Calgary Flames, to whom both Winnipeg and Nashville have played one less game - remain at the mercy of the Jets' and Predators' opponents, going forward.
Currently sitting atop the three teams with 89 points, Winnipeg owns the tiebreaker against both clubs, meaning: if they end up tied following the 82-game regular season, the Jets would make it into the postseason over both Calgary and Nashville, under all circumstances.
That's a big 'if'.
Making matters trickier for the Flames is the fact that Nashville and Winnipeg play each other on Saturday. But then, for Winnipeg, the Flames and Predators face off two days later in Calgary.
Oh, to feel the excitement that NHL schedule-makers are enjoying in this moment.
“It’s what it always comes down to," Jets defenceman Nate Schmidt said following Wednesday's loss. "It’s the reason that you’re grinding for the whole year. It’s a grind for games like this, for the next one. It makes for good storylies.”
Another shared opponent by both the Flames and Jets is the 29th-place San Jose Sharks.
Winnipeg, for whatever reason, has lost both of its games against Manitoba backstop James Reimer and the Sharks this year. While Calgary, on the other hand, is a perfect 3-0-0 against division rival San Jose this season.
The Flames' other remaining came comes on Saturday evening against another team not in the playoff picture, the Vancouver Canucks.
Of the three teams, Calgary's schedule is the easiest, mathematically speaking. But it does only include three games, whereas Winnipeg and Nashville have four opportunities to gain points.
Nashville is just one point behind Winnipeg and Calgary, but does have that additional game on its schedule over the Flames.
The Predators have a near-identical remaining four games as the Jets. Following the game in Winnipeg on Saturday and Monday's contest in Calgary, Nashville will host Central Division rivals Minnesota and Colorado on back-to-back days from Bridgestone Arena to close out the season.
"They're definitely hanging around," forward Nino Niederreiter said of his former club. "The thing with them is they have no expectations right now. They sold quite a lot of players, traded away quite a lot of players. Now they can play with no pressures knowing they don't have to make the playoffs."
The Jets, who host the Predators and then the Sharks on Monday, hit the road for two games in three days, also against the Wild and Avalanche.
Nashville may have the advantage as it plays its two final games at home, whereas Winnipeg will challenge its opponents in the not-so-friendly confines of Minnesota and Colorado.
All the Jets need to do is win all four games and they are guaranteed a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Easy, right?
"Well, we’re still in eighth place," Jets head coach Rick Bowness said. "That’s where it leaves us. It’s up to us to keep it. That’s where we are."
Nashville - which would need to finish one point higher in the standings than Winnipeg to get a playoff spot - would need to win all four games, with the Jets losing at least once, in order to pull ahead.
Calgary, on the other hand, just needs to win, period.
With the opening round of the postseason set to begin in a week, it is as simple as that; keep wining hockey games.