Flames approach in final three games: ‘Leave it all out there’
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In the thick of a three-team race with the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames aim to leave everything on the ice in their remaining three games.
The Jets and Flames are tied with 89 points, with Winnipeg holding a game in hand. The Predators sit one point back with 88 and have won their last two contests.
Calgary plays in Vancouver on Saturday night before hosting Nashville on Monday and end their regular season versus the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.
“We want to battle and grind till the end,” goalie Jacob Markstrom said on Friday. “There’s three games left and we’ve got to leave it all out there to have a chance at [the playoffs].”
"We've got to be ready for the opportunity at hand here,” Tyler Toffoli said.
The Flames’ first challenge is a Canucks team they beat in a thrilling come-from-behind, 5-4 overtime win last Friday that resuscitated their playoff hopes. Calgary has often played down to their opponents this season, including the 4-3 loss on Tuesday evening at home to the Chicago Blackhawks. They are keenly aware of how tough non-playoff teams can be. Those groups often play less structured, and players might be fighting for jobs for next season.
“With the new coach [Rick Tocchet], there’s a lot of guys on the other side that want to impress the new coach or stay in the NHL,” said blueliner MacKenzie Weegar. “So there’s a lot riding for them too, and a lot riding for us. We expect the best from them.”
“They play hard,” Toffoli said. “They’re playing for something, so we’ve got to be ready.”
The group has already moved on from the 3-1 victory in Winnipeg on Wednesday. Markstrom was the evening’s first star in stopping 34 of 35 shots.
“It was just another game,” Toffoli said. “We knew what we had to do. The way Marky played, he kept us in the game and made some huge saves.”
Not only is it a three-team race, but everyone plays each other. Calgary defeated Winnipeg on Wednesday, and on Saturday the Jets and Predators square off before Nashville travels to Calgary. The situation is different than other playoff races, with one four-point game per team in the final week of the season.
“I’ve never been in a position like this where it really is coming down to the last couple of games,” Toffoli said.
“Obviously this isn’t at all the position we projected to be in…we have to win every game.”
Managing their emotions is key. Players like Weegar and Blake Coleman have alluded to the outside noise and needing to be distraction-free.
“It’s your job [to manage emotions],” Markstrom said. “That’s what everybody’s capable of doing…we try to have as much fun as we can, but it’s a business.”
Despite their backs being against a wall, there is a sense of optimism and belief that Calgary can win out and at least have a shot at the playoffs. They are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, and can build off the incredibly important victory on Wednesday. Markstrom’s game has slowly come around after struggles through the first three-quarters of the season, and the team looks far more emotionally engaged than it did earlier in the season.
“Just carry on from that Winnipeg game, the emotion, urgency, and compete level,” Weegar said, of the keys to winning out the season. “It really comes down to bringing your best individually.”
“Everyone needs to contribute,” Markstrom added. “With the year we had, it sure doesn’t feel like that we’re still in it…to be in this situation, we’ve got to try and take advantage, with the year we’ve had.”
PROJECTED LINEUP AGAINST VANCOUVER ON SATURDAY:
Dube-Lindholm-Toffoli
Huberdeau-Backlund-Mangiapane
Ritchie-Kadri-Coleman
Lucic-Lewis-Duehr
Weegar-Andersson
Hanifin-Tanev
Zadorov-Stecher