The two teams chasing the Blackhawks most closely in the NHL’s Western Conference standings, the Calgary Flames and the Dallas Stars, both won their games Sunday night. The Flames now trail the Blackhawks by only one point and the Stars are three points behind.
The good news for the Blackhawks regarding Calgary is that the Flames have played two more games. Thus, Calgary’s maximum number of points is 95, presuming they win both those games. If the Blackhawks can win two of their remaining four games, they’d eliminate Calgary.
The Stars, though, have played the same number of games as the Blackhawks and have four games left — they can max out at 97 points. The Blackhawks would have to win three of four to eliminate the Stars, no matter what Dallas does.
The Hawks travel to Montreal to face the tough Canadiens on Tuesday night, having been shut out in two of their last three games. When Detroit won last night, they clinched the Central Division. The Hawks could still finish as high as fourth, but they’ll need a lot of help.