Here are the Red Wings' current playoff chances

After the three week Olympic break, it semeed like the Red Wings would continue with one of their best seasons in recent years. With a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators and a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators in a game where the Red Wings lost goalie John Gibson to injury, the team had taken four out of a possible six points in their first three games back from the Olympic break.

But ever since a crushing blown 3-1 lead to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Red Wings have been on a downward trajectory while other teams in the East have found themselves in a very different position. How exactly has this affected the Red Wings' playoff chances?

Atlantic playoff odds shifting rapidly

Coming out of the break, the Red Wings had a 76% chance of making the playoffs as they sat second in the Atlantic division with 23 games left to play. After a win against the Senators in the first game back, the Wings percentage went up to 83%, a big swing against a big wild-card contender.

Fortunately, this loss only dropped the team's odds to 80%. Having said that, the blows for the Wings have come slow and steady, chipping away at the team's playoff chances. After the injury to Dylan Larkin and a loss to the Florida Panthers, the team's percentage dropped again to 75%, still higher than the team's odds coming out of the break. Even after another crushing defeat in Florida, where the team blew a 3-2 lead in 90 seconds, the Red Wings odds were still good, sitting at 71%.

The biggest game that lies ahead for the Red Wings is tonight, at home, against the Calgary Flames. The Flames have struggled all season; this is a perfect opportunity for the Red Wings to get back on track. With a win tonight, the team's odds will go from 63% to 68%. If they lose in regulation, however, their odds drop all the way down to 50%.

A 50/50 chance of making the playoffs is a gamble the team would not like to take. The difference between a win and a regulation loss is a 19% swing for the team. This is, essentially, a make-or-break game for the team.

Division rivals have come out of the break hot

What makes things worse is that the Red Wings are struggling just as their division rivals are starting to heat up. The Buffalo Sabres, for example, have won nine of their last ten coming out of the break, including a thrilling 8-7 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Sabres now lead the Atlantic division and have a 99% chance of making the playoffs after only having a 68% chance coming out of the break.

What this proves is that it is still possible for the Red Wings to make the playoffs. As much as it feels like doom and gloom, the tides can change in just a handful of games. After also coming out of the break red hot, the Montreal Canadiens have lost back-to-back games, which has dropped them from a 92% chance to an 81% chance. In just two games, they have gone down 11%.

The race is tight, but just a few wins can change everything. After tonight, the Red Wings play Montreal, Boston and Ottawa, three division rivals that are all in the mix for playoff spots.

The Wings are chasing the Canadians and Bruins while the Senators chase them. While the Red Wings wait for their centers to return, stealing a few wins will certainly give rise to their playoff odds.