The playoffs remain a possibility for the club, but they are on the outside looking in as they take on the Los Angeles Kings tonight (10:30 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+); they are six points and five regulation wins behind the Seattle Kraken, while they are four points and four regulation wins behind the Winnipeg Jets. FiveThirtyEight gives them a 28% chance of getting to the playoffs.
The Flames beat the Kings 6-4 back on Nov. 14, and lost 4-3 in OT on Dec. 22. After tonight’s game, the two teams play again on March 28.
Aside from the games against L.A., the Flames play seven of their 10 other remaining games against teams that are in great draft lottery position, one game against the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights, and one against the Nashville Predators, who are fighting for one of those same wild-card spots. There is certainly a path for a late run to the playoffs.
As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2023 NHL draft lottery.
Note: All times Eastern. All games not on ESPN, TNT or NHL Network are available via NHL Power Play, which is included in an ESPN+ subscription (local blackout restrictions apply).
Points: 54 Regulation wins: 16 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 13 Points pace: 64 Next game: @ COL (Monday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Points: 92 Regulation wins: 32 Playoff position: P1 Games left: 12 Points pace: 108 Next game: @ VAN (Tuesday) Playoff chances: >99% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 90 Regulation wins: 30 Playoff position: P2 Games left: 12 Points pace: 105 Next game: vs. CGY (Monday) Playoff chances: >99% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86 Regulation wins: 37 Playoff position: P3 Games left: 12 Points pace: 101 Next game: vs. SJ (Monday) Playoff chances: >99% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 83 Regulation wins: 30 Playoff position: WC1 Games left: 13 Points pace: 99 Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 91% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 77 Regulation wins: 25 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 12 Points pace: 90 Next game: @ LA (Monday) Playoff chances: 28% Tragic number: 20
Points: 67 Regulation wins: 19 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 13 Points pace: 80 Next game: vs. VGK (Tuesday) Playoff chances: <1% Tragic number: 12
Points: 56 Regulation wins: 13 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 12 Points pace: 66 Next game: vs. CGY (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
Points: 52 Regulation wins: 14 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 12 Points pace: 61 Next game: @ EDM (Monday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
X — Clinched playoff berth; E — Eliminated from playoff contention
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team might move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Connor Bedard, who has been lauded as a generational talent.
Freeland appeared to injure his right shoulder while attempting to score the go-ahead run in the ninth inning Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Bud Black, however, said Freeland was “fine” after the game.
Freeland, 30, has limped to a 0-3 record with a 13.21 ERA in four games (all starts) this season. He is 55-68 with a 4.53 ERA in 188 career games (183 starts) with the Rockies.
Also on Friday, Colorado recalled right-hander Noah Davis from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Davis, 26, owns a 0-2 record with a 6.62 ERA in four games (all starts) with the Isotopes. He is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in nine career games (six starts) with the Rockies.
ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider began to feel discomfort in his right elbow in spring training but didn’t realize the severity of the injury until learning he needed season-ending surgery.
Strider said he had a bone fragment develop following Tommy John surgery in 2019 that caused the ulnar collateral ligament to become unstable. Strider also said he did not have a tear that required a second Tommy John surgery and he instead had an internal brace procedure, perhaps giving him a better opportunity to recover for the start of the 2025 season.
Strider finally complained about the issue after pitching four innings in Atlanta’s 6-5 win over Arizona on April 5.
“You’re not going to feel good when you’re playing baseball every day,” Strider said Friday while standing in front of his locker in his first news conference since the surgery. “So I’m not searching for that. You know, like I said, I’m going to pitch through anything if I feel like I can help the team and I felt like I couldn’t do that anymore, so I thought it’s time to say something.”
An MRI the next day revealed damage to his UCL. Texas Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister performed the procedure on April 13.
“They’re theorizing that I tore some connective tissue … and that’s what destabilized the ligament,” Strider said. “And maybe I blew through the last of that on that game and things deteriorated pretty quickly throughout the outing.”
Strider was Atlanta’s No. 1 starting pitcher after going 20-5 with 281 strikeouts in last year, when he led the major leagues in wins and strikeouts.
With his right arm immobilized in a sling, Strider said he will look for ways to support his teammates.
“These guys don’t don’t need me to to win a World Series,” he said. “So you know they’re going to pursue that journey. I’ll be here here to cheer them on.”
Replacing Strider will be a challenge.
Right-hander Allan Winans allowed seven runs — six earned — over five innings in a 16-15 loss to the New York Mets on April 11 and was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after the game.
Right-hander Darius Vines had more success, allowing one run and four hits with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings of a 6-1 win at Houston on Monday. Vines is scheduled to make his second start of the season on Sunday night against Texas.
The Arizona Diamondbacks placed right-hander Ryne Nelson on the 15-day injured list Friday because of an elbow contusion suffered the previous night.
Nelson was hit on the right arm by a line drive off the bat of the San Francisco Giants‘ Mike Yastrzemski during the second inning of his start Thursday night.
The team recalled outfielder Pavin Smith from Triple-A Reno in the corresponding roster move.
Smith, a first-round pick (seventh overall) of the Diamondbacks in 2017, hit .188 (36-for-191) in 69 games with Arizona last season, dropping his average to .240 in his four big-league seasons. He has 28 home runs and 116 RBIs in 391 games.
The Diamondbacks also designated infielder Jace Peterson for assignment. Peterson had only one hit in 22 at-bats for Arizona this season and hit .183 (17-for-93) through 41 games with the Diamondbacks in 2023.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.