Flames need wins and help to nab playoff spot, Oilers to meet Kings again
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The Calgary Flames are right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race as the season winds down.
With two games remaining in their season, the Flames sit two points back of the St. Louis Blues and three back of the Minnesota Wild with a game in hand on both teams. Sunday’s 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks propelled Calgary into the mix for the final wild-card spot in the West.
"It's super exciting," defenceman MacKenzie Weegar said of being in the playoff chase. "It's a lot of fun playing these games. You get ready for games mentally all year long, and they talk about the dog days ... we've been in the dog days for I can't even tell you. We've been playing meaningful games, and it's going to continue like that now. If we make playoffs, it just carries on."
"I think at the end of the day, we need to get in," Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. "We believe in our group and we're in this position for a reason. We want to get in. Hopefully, the chances come and we at least have a chance to get in until the end. That's our goal."
The Flames are trying to become the first team since the 1958-59 Toronto Maple Leafs to clinch a playoff berth after overcoming a five-point deficit over their final four games of the season.
The Flames will finish their regular season with a home game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday before travelling to Los Angeles to finish their season against the Kings on Thursday.
Oilers, Kings renew rivalry in first round
The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings will meet in the first round for the fourth consecutive year. The Oilers have won each of the past three series between the two teams, most recently taking the 2023-24 series in five games.
The Kings and Oilers will battle tonight with massive implications on their matchup. The Kings will clinch second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage in their first-round series against the Oilers with a win.
It appears the Oilers will head into the playoffs without defenceman Mattias Ekholm, who could be out for ‘quite some time’ after sustaining a serious injury on Friday against the San Jose Sharks.
"We've been very fortunate in the past, not losing guys and now our luck has run out," head coach Kris Knoblauch said. "Some freak accidents and feeling those players were ready to return and it's just unfortunate circumstances where those things can happen."
"It's tough," Oilers’ forward Corey Perry said. "Teams are all going through it and we're going through it right now. It's tough to see. Two big holes go down, those guys play a lot of minutes and important roles for our team. But we have guys who aren't in the lineup who can step in and contribute and guys who are in the lineup who can maybe do a little bit more. We'll get through this and move forward.”
After tonight’s game against the Kings, the Oilers will finish off their season in San Jose against the Sharks. The Kings have three games remaining against the Oilers, Flames, and Seattle Kraken.
