While both the Rangers and Devils haven't been particularly proficient on home ice, the Penguins are a jaw-dropping/table-topping 21-3-2 for 44 points at - wait for it - PPG Paints Arena.
Each of the upcoming opponents presents differing challenges. The Devils, tied for last in an ultra-competitive division, represent a potential banana-peel game. The balanced Broadway Blueshirts score by committee, boasting half-a dozen players within three points of the team scoring lead of 38. The Penguins, of course, of course, have the luxury of tossing Sidney Crosby (first in NHL goals, second in points) and/or Evgeni Malkin (tied for third in points) over the boards for in excess of 25 minutes each per evening.
The axiom in heavyweight title bouts, as old as cauliflower ears, is that fights are won or lost between Rounds 10 and 15.
Well, with Game 53 looming, the echoes of the bell for Round 10 are already ringing in the ears of the Flames.
"Exactly,'' says hard-rock defenceman Deryk Engelland. "Those three teams, they're fighting for positioning, too. Every team has something to play for at this time of the year.
"So we need to come out hungry."
Topping Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan's wish list is more resilency, more stick-to-itiveness.
Because there's an excellent chance that at some juncture over the course of this trip, his Flames will find themselves playing catch-up.
"We've never had trouble playing with the lead,'' he reminded all following the esteem-boosting 5-1 takedown of the surging Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. "We've had trouble when we get down and, to me, that's something we have to make a conscious effort on, mentally and physically.
"What we have to get used to is playing without the lead because we're not always going to score the first one.
"Yeah, it's nice to have and we talk about it all the time, but good teams, whether they're up one or down one, play the same way.
"Playing without the lead is something we've got to make sure we make strides in.
"It's that belief in our game plan, playing that full 60 minutes, that we have to keep buying into. That's what the guys did (against the Wild)."