The Flames clinched a playoff spot more than a week ago. They clinched top seed in the Pacific with four games remaining. Calgary’s regular season has been as good as anyone could have expected, and in most cases better. The Flames have been one of the NHL’s best and most consistent teams from start to finish, but it starts to matter for real early next week. More so this year than in a long time, and for myriad reasons, Calgary absolutely needs to win a playoff round.
Maximizing the regular season
At 108 points, the Flames have already put together the second best season in franchise history.