The Calgary Flames travel to Vancouver to take on the Canucks in a critical game for the Flames' playoff chances. Calgary is currently tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Canucks, meanwhile, have just 77 points on the season and have been eliminated from playoff contention. The puck drops at 10:00 PM EST on Saturday night.
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The Calgary Flames head into Vancouver with no room for error. The Flames are tied with Winnipeg for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference with just three games left. The Jets have a game in hand on the Flames as well so Calgary will need to win out and get some help. On Wednesday night, the Flames kept their hopes alive by pulling out a 3-1 win over the Jets. Andrew Mangiapane and Nikita Zadorov each had a goal and an assist in the critical win. Trailing the Jets in total victories, the Flames will need to beat out the Jets in the standings to get the playoff nod. Jacob Markstrom did his best to keep that hope alive by saving 33-of-34 shots on Wednesday.
“He was great today,” Mangiapane said about Markstrom. “He’s been great down the stretch here. We’ve got three more games, we’re going to need him for all three of those. He’s a big part of our team and I&# x2019;m happy to see how he’s playing right now.”
That was fun, eh?#Flames | @scotiabank pic.twitter.com/WkemaNQfX5
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 6, 2023
Calgary is now 5-1-0 in the last six games to close the gap on Winnipeg in the standings. The Flames finish with two home games after tonight's matchup with Vancouver. The Flames' offense has found its stride in recent weeks, averaging 4.3 goals per game in their last ten wins. On the season, the Flames are just 18th in the NHL in goals per game and a woeful 30th in shooting percentage. They will need to keep up the scoring down the stretch if they hope to win out and steal the last playoff spot.