The Blackhawks are on a nice roll right now. They're 12-5-2 in their last 19 games and have earned at least one point in eight of their last nine (6-1-2).
But they're about to embark on a five-game road trip in Western Canada and it's their most important stretch of the season for several reasons.
For one, it's a major opportunity for the Blackhawks to gain ground and pull closer to a playoff berth against teams in a similar position. All five upcoming opponents are within seven points of the Blackhawks, who sit at 58 points through 54 games.
Going into the weekend, Winnipeg is at 59, Calgary is at 60, Edmonton is at 62 and Vancouver is at 65. The Blackhawks have a game in hand on each of those opponents except Edmonton.
"I look at is as a fun situation to be in," head coach Jeremy Colliton said after Saturday's practice at Fifth Third Arena. "We're going on the road and all five of the games are huge. And as players and coaches, the team, we want to be in that situation, you want to be in those games.
"You wake up this morning and it's a practice day and sometimes practice days for the players can be a drag, but to me, on a day like this, it's exciting because we're in a position to play important, big games and that's what you want. What we need to do on this trip is play well, have good performances so we get the points we need to stay in the race and hopefully raise our nose above the crowd."
The race to watch in the West is in the Pacific Division, where five points separate the No. 1 seed and No. 5 seed. Those spots will be interchanging throughout the final two months.
NHL
It's gotten to the point where it's impossible to figure out what the best-case scenario is when Pacific Division clubs are going up against each other or other wild card teams.
"Best-case scenario is we get points," Colliton said. "That's the best thing we can do. And no overtime in the other games. That's basically the formula. But it's fun. Of course you pay attention and we're watching games anyway. It just means you're in the mix and you're relevant and, as a competitor, that's what you want to be."
The Blackhawks don't have much margin for error going forward. They've done a solid job stringing together points to play themselves into the conversation, but the real work is just beginning.
"Every game now is a playoff game pretty much," Drake Caggiula said. "And every game you're going to get your opponents' best. Everyone's fighting for those points. I don't think it really matters who we play. We've got to approach it like it's life or death every game. We've just got to make sure we're having a fresh start looking at Winnipeg and take one game at a time, be as fully prepared as you can because it's going to be playoff hockey from here on out."
Attention Dish and Sling customers! You have lost your Blackhawks games on NBC Sports Chicago. To switch providers, visit mysportschicago.com.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Blackhawks easily on your device.