The Calgary Flames‘ playoff hopes could be toast if things don’t go well in a couple of arenas on Monday night.
The Winnipeg Jets can push the Flames to the brink of West wild-card elimination with a win against the San Jose Sharks on Monday Night Hockey on Sportsnet West and SN NOW at 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MT.
If the Jets win, the Flames need to beat the visiting Nashville Predators (Sportsnet ONE, SN NOW) on Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. MT to stay alive.
The Predators would be in the same win-or-be-eliminated scenario if the Jets top San Jose.
The Jets are one point ahead of the Flames, but have three games left while Calgary just has two. Nashville is three points back of Calgary and has three games left.
Winnipeg has the first tiebreaker (regulation wins) in its favour.
Elsewhere in the West, the Dallas Stars can secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs if they beat the Detroit Red Wings and the Minnesota Wild lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in regulation.
Eastern Conference
The Florida Panthers can clinch a wild-card spot with a regulation or overtime win on Monday over the Toronto Maple Leafs (Sportsnet, SN NOW, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT) along with a New York Islanders loss to the Washington Capitals in regulation.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils can wrap up home-ice advantage in the first round.
The Hurricanes can do so with a win over the Ottawa Senators (Sportsnet East, SN NOW, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT). Carolina also gets home ice with an overtime/shootout loss to the Senators and a New York Rangers loss to the Buffalo Sabres in any fashion or simply with a Rangers regulation loss.
The idle Devils grab home ice if the Rangers lose to the Sabres in regulation.