If Toronto and the Blackhawks have the same number of points when the season ends Sunday, the initial tie-breaker would be total victories.
Toronto has 27 wins and the Hawks just 25 after Sunday night`s loss to Calgary, so the Hawks need to make up ground.
The second tie-breaker would be what the teams did in the season series. So far, Toronto leads it 3-2-2. The teams end the season playing each other Sunday at the Stadium. The third tie-breaker would be goal differential, and the Hawks would win that category.
Toronto and the Hawks each have three games left. The Maple Leafs host Minnesota Wednesday, play at St. Louis Saturday and in Chicago Sunday. The Hawks host Quebec Wednesday and play at Hartford Saturday before the finale with Toronto.
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– The season you`ll be hearing a lot about this week is 1968-69, the last time the Hawks didn`t make the playoffs. That team was 34-33-9.
– Goalie Alain Chevrier had his streak of eight straight starts ended when Darren Pang started in goal Sunday. Chevrier is 2-8-2 lifetime against Calgary with a 4.76 goals-against average, while Pang was 0-3-1 against the Flames.
– Winger Dirk Graham had only one goal in his last 10 games before Calgary, but the Hawks` captain did have nine assists. He has appeared to be tiring down the stretch after being one of coach Mike Keenan`s most used and consistent players.
”I don`t agree,” Keenan said. ”Dirk doesn`t look tired to me.”
– The Flames couldn`t dress two players against the Hawks because of suspensions. Joel Otto was set down for three games after punching a linesman in a recent game with Los Angeles. Otto has 51 points. Also missing Sunday`s game was Tim Hunter, serving a two-game suspension for receiving his fourth game misconduct.
Another important Calgary player who was absent was Gary Suter,still healing from an appendectomy Feb. 24.