It’s crunch time for the Henderson Silver Knights. Sitting in eighth place in the Pacific Division, they are tied with the Tucson Roadrunners for the final playoff spot in the Calder Cup playoffs.

They streamline into March with a 23-18-8 record, looking to secure the final spot and aiming for their first playoff berth since the 2021-22 season.

Related: Henderson Silver Knights Q&A: Head Coach Ryan Craig

As Silver Knights’ head coach Ryan Craig notes when I spoke to him two weeks ago, March is filled with in-division opponents but heaped on not looking too far ahead. As Henderson looks to stack wins, they’ll be tasked with 23 games over the course of the next 49 days, which averages roughly to a game every two days.

For now though, we’ll take a inside look at what March has to offer and where Henderson stands.

Silver Knights March Flocked With In-Division Opponents

If the Silver Knights are going to make a playoff push, March leaves little margin for error.

The month is dominated by Pacific Division opponents, beginning with a matchup against the Colorado Eagles. Colorado enters the stretch sitting second in the division, and Henderson has struggled in the season series, posting a 2-5-0 record.

The Eagles are powered offensively by forward Alex Barré-Boulet, who leads the club with 52 points in 50 games, presenting an immediate test for a Silver Knights team trying to climb back into the postseason picture.

Things don’t ease up when the Coachella Valley Firebirds arrive to close the homestand. Coachella Valley’s pace and depth have made them one of the division’s sneaky good teams. They sit in fifth place in the Pacific.

Multiple meetings with the Ontario Reign follow. The Reign sit atop the Pacific Division with 70 points, leading by an inch ahead of the 69-point Eagles.

They’ll be looking to clinch the division soon, perhaps sometime in March. The only other team that has clinched a playoff spot in the AHL is the Grand Rapid Griffins.

A quick road trip brings Henderson to face the Roadrunners. Followed by the Roadrunners, they’ll play both the Canucks and Wranglers in what will be a six-game road trip.

Tanner Laczynski said last week that while long-road trips like this are demanding on the body, oftentimes it’s where the most bonding is within the team, we’ll see if that plays a part then.

The schedule continues with a set against the Texas Stars. Then, March concludes with a trip to face the Milwaukee Admirals, one of the Central Division teams who are also in the mix of things and will be battling it out for a final playoff spot.

Henderson enter March facing their most important stretch of the season. With a strong run through a schedule filled with division opponents could be enough to push Henderson into the Calder Cup Playoffs. With little margin for error, each game now carries postseason implications.

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