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Playoff bubble watch — Calgary Flames edition

Flames score

With the NHL playoff race getting down to the wire, we’ll be providing regular updates on each bubble team’s postseason push.

On the bubble: Calgary Flames

Where they stand: 10th in the West, one point back of 8th-place Colorado, but with two games in hand on the Avs

Games remaining: 11

SportsClubStats.com says: 52.8% chance of making the playoffs

Why they’ll get in:

They’ve won five in a row and don’t have a particularly tough schedule ahead of them. (Tonight they’re in Edmonton and Sunday they host Columbus.) In fact, the only team the Flames play down the stretch that’s guaranteed to make the playoffs is Vancouver (twice), and the Canucks aren’t exactly lighting it up these days. Plus, Calgary’s got Sven Baertschi now.

Why they won’t:

The five other teams battling for the final three playoff spots. The Stars have won six of seven, the Avs and Kings have won five of seven, and the Sharks and Coyotes seem to be turning it around. Plus, Baertschi has to go back to junior as soon as one of Calgary’s injured forwards returns to the lineup

Quotable:

“I’m feeling better. It’s something that, during the course of the year you go through ups and downs. You try to make the tough stretches as short as possible and the ones you’re feeling good and feeling better as long as possible. You just keep going. I think our whole team is feeling better.” – Flames captain Jarome Iginla (eight goals, six assists in past eight games)

Key game coming up:

Tuesday at Colorado.