Wild Card Race: Flames rising, Jets sliding

The NHL's Western Conference wild card race appears like it will go down to the wire, with Seattle looking favourites and Winnipeg, Calgary, and Nashville fighting it out for the last berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Jets suddenly look vulnerable amidst reports of dressing room unrest while the Flames are rallying to save an underwhelming season.

Video Transcript

OMAR: I'm all aboard the Calgary hype train, man. I-- I think they can't let this opportunity, like, go to waste. Like, they've been in that, like, weird bubble all season. And now they finally have a shot with Winnipeg kind of falling down. They kind of bounced back and had a big game. I think they won like, what, 6-0 over the Devils or something like that.

But, like, what Avery said was true, man. Like, there are some issues in that room. And so you have a team that was in a playoff spot all year, has kind of fallen out a little bit, and has some nastiness going on versus a team that's kind of struggled to find themselves a little bit.

But now this can be something that they rally around, right? So I hope they do it. I hope they can hold on. I hope Mark-- like, Mark-- goaltending is going to be the big difference. Winnipeg has Hellebuyck. Calgary has Markstrom. If I needed--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Both of those goalies at their best-- they're really good.

OMAR: Yeah, but one goalie's been at his best longer. And his name's not Markstrom. So but I think it would be really cool if Calgary ends up-- ends up getting in, not just-- you know, just to bash on Winnipeg and Winnipeg fans and such because, you know, there's nothing like beating the Leafs, eh?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Is that what they sound like?

OMAR: I don't know. I don't know. That's-- that's just my generic, like, mocking voice. But yeah--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Sam.

OMAR: --Seattle-Calgary.

SAM CHANG: I'm going to agree with Omar and Avery. I think it's Seattle. And I think it's Calgary. Of the Flames, the Jets, and the Preds, I think the Flames have the easiest schedule coming up.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: They do.

SAM CHANG: They play-- they play the Blackhawks, the Jets, the Canucks, the Preds, the Sharks.

OMAR: They play the Jets?

SAM CHANG: Yeah, and the Jets and the Preds play each other as well.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Omar, Wednesday.

SAM CHANG: They're all playing each other.

OMAR: I'm watching that. That's huge.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Wednesday-- Wednesday is, like, the biggest game of the season for both of those teams.

SAM CHANG: Yeah.

OMAR: Woah.

SAM CHANG: Well, and then the Jets and the Preds play as well. But I think each of the Jets and the Preds also have to play the Golden Knights and the Avs.

OMAR: Flames play the Preds right after-- no, they play the Canucks, I think. And then they play the Preds as one of their final two games as well. So the flames also have the Predators-- Predators in their sights before the season ends.

SAM CHANG: It's for sure tight. It's going to be an exciting race. But I think not having to play the Avs or the Golden Knights or the Dallas Stars helps them a lot.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Here's a counterpoint with the Flames, though. Chicago-- they're playing-- well, by the time everyone gets this, it'll be today. Did you know the Flames have not beaten Chicago this year yet?

OMAR: Why?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: It has not happened. I don't know. They lost in overtime to them. And they got blown-- they got the brakes blown off of them two months-- two or three months ago. So, like, that is very-- that's very much a trap game against Chicago. I don't think the Flames--

OMAR: That can happen. That's--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I agree.

OMAR: --unbelievable if they lose that.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: The Flames have also-- if memory serves, have also not beaten Nashville this year either. There are trap games, like, kind of around that Winnipeg game.

SAM CHANG: I mean, the Flames did pick up, like, all former Canucks. And all of the former Canuck teams and current Canucks teams-- what they do is you show up for the games against, like, the good teams. And you blow the easy games that you should win. So, you know.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: That is-- that's been the Calgary Flames for a good chunk of this year. I want to say they're going to make it. But, like, man, they've really got to get those points.

OMAR: It could come down to the last game of the season, which would be sick. That would be so cool.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: It's going to be insane. I just want to mention something with Seattle. I believe they have seven games left. I want to say three of those games are against Arizona-- three of them-- three of them. But-- but-- but their final two games of the season are against the Golden Knights, who may have something to-- who may have something to play for, depending on what the Pacific division looks like by the end of the year. It's something to keep in mind. I know people in Edmonton may pay attention to those games, depending on what the structure or what the points standings look like.

OMAR: Yeah.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Other than that, though, I don't want it-- I don't want it to be unanimous. But I can't-- I really think Winnipeg's gonna a crumble. I think their schedule is too tough. And I think Calgary's mindset has changed. I mean, you were mentioning Winnipeg having problems in the room.

I mean, Calgary's had some issues in the room. That I know for sure. Like, they're-- Winnipeg is not alone in that. But it seems as if they've found a way to step above their problems and put themselves in a position where they could at least get some points.