Two wins against the Ice, or Curtains?

Canes, Ice, or Tigers vs Oil Kings in first round?

The Canes managed zero points in their three most recent "must win" games this past week against Red Deer (twice) and the Calgary Hitmen.  Thankfully, the Kootenay Ice scores were also a bit thin on their recent trip south of 49, and as a result, the Eastern Conference playoff race continues for this final week of the regular season.

Both Ice and Canes have 4 games remaining.  It is possible for the Ice to catch the Tigers for third place with wins against the Canes and Hitmen.  With their recent lack of performance, the Canes are able to catch only the Ice for the eighth and final spot, and with only one win in their past 12 games, they are lucky to even have a chance, and even less likely to deliver the victories to fans.

For the first time this season, the Canes truly "must win" both their Tuesday and Wednesday games against the Ice.  At very worst, they can give up single points in both games, but the Canes MUST get wins via either OT or the shoot-out in both games to still have a mathematical chance at the post-season.  If the ice wins either of these two games in regulation or otherwise, or if the Ice gets to 71 points in the games that follow, then the Canes are immediately eliminated from playoff contention... Officially.

If the Canes do only just scrape by with OT or shoot-out victories, then not only do they have to hope for two Ice (regulation time) losses in their final two games against the Hitmen, the Canes would also have to win both of their final two games against the Tigers just to create a tie-break at 70 points with the Ice. (Regular season end tie breaks are also possible between the two clubs at 68 and 69 points).

Best case for the Canes?   Run the table with 2 regulation time wins against the Ice and 2 (any way they can get them) wins against the Tigers.  This would get the Canes to 70 points, but it would mean that the Ice would have to get at least 3 of 4 points from the Hitmen in order to avoid the 70 point tie break.

And what does all this get the eighth place team in the Eastern Conference?  A chance at WHL immortality and the underdog achievement of all time if they can conjure an upset against the Edmonton Oil Kings who will be favored against either club by everyone on the planet who has ever heard of the WHL, by, oh I don't know, at LEAST 100-1.

...And the Ice thickens... or is it the plot??