We're emerging from the January doldrums and heading into the final drive for the play-offs. Observant Flames fans will remember this is just about the time the wheels started to come off for the team last year, en route to a skin-of-the-teeth berth into the post season and a thorough bitch-slapping by the Red Wings in the first round. That doesn't seem to be the club's plot arch this year, though there's still a lot of hockey to be played.
Calgary currently sits 2nd in the NW division and 6th in Western conference with 58 points and 33 games left to play. The upcoming schedule includes a lot of inter-divisional play, especially in March and April:
Jan 30 -
Sharks
Feb -
Stars
Oilers
Coyotes
Blackhawks
Oilers
Sharks
Kings
Ducks
Coyotes
Stars
Red Wings
Wild
Avalanche
Ducks
March -
Coyotes
Blue Jackets
Preds
Blues
Capitals
Thrashers
Blackhawks
Blue Jackets
Avalanche
Wild
Avalanche
Canucks
Oilers
Canucks
April -
Oilers
Wild
Canucks
I've highlighted teams that are currently in a play-off spot in red. Of the remaining 33 games, nearly half (16) are against non-play-off opponents, which is the good news. Thirteen are also against divisional opponents, including the final 9 matches of the year. That may prove to be a pivotal stretch of games, depending on how things shake out the next few weeks. Even if the Flames have secured a play-off spot by that time, a bad run could mean the difference between finishing 3rd in the conference or 8th, the latter position all but guaranteeing a date with the merciless Juggernaut that is the Detroit Red Wings. That's a fate I think the boys would hope to avoid this time around.
