The reflection in the rear-view mirror is no longer blank.
 The view to the front shows the back bumpers of a few teams within passing distance.
 The Calgary Flames, fueled by three straight wins, are back in the race.
 "Hey, forget about a playoff spot, we're only five points out of second place," says Theo Fleury.
 Between bouts of quieting his restless six-and-half-month-old son Beaux at home yesterday, Fleury said the Young Guns are learning how to win.
 "The difference between the start of the season and now is we are playing with a lot more poise," said Fleury.
 "We feel like we know we can win the close games and that's just confidence, which comes from playing in all those one-goal games."
 Those one-goal games have not been kind to Calgary -- they are 4-10 when one goal decides a game.
 But being that close has demonstrated to a young team that they have the stuff to win.
 "Everybody is believing in the system in order to be successful, and no one is trying to do anything flashy anymore," said Fleury.
 "Of course, Tabby is playing unbelievable as well."
 Outstanding goaltending has been the key to the team's three consecutive wins, their longest win streak of the season.
 But are Tabaracci's heroics masking the real Calgary Flames?
 Is this a team simply riding a hot goalie to win?
 Or is this a team in the midst of a real turnaround?
 "It's a little bit of both," says Fleury.
 "You don't win in this league without good goaltending -- the goalie has to get you an opportunity to win every night and they have done that."
 It's a luxury the Flames have not had often in the past. At the end of last season, Fleury expressed that thought in a much-quoted attack on former goalie Trevor Kidd.
 "At times, that wasn't the case, we didn't get good goaltending but that's the past," he said.
 "This team is playing really well right now. It's young and has experience to help that youth.
 "If we keep playing the way we have -- we've been in every game this season -- there is no reason to believe we can't be a solid playoff team."
 There are more reasons to believe.
 The emergence of German Titov and Michael Nylander from the early-season doghouse to become offensive contributors has complemented the play of Marty McInnis and Cory Stillman.
 Andrew Cassels has adapted his play to become a defensive leader with wingers Jonas Hoglund and Jarome Iginla. Both Iginla and Hoglund have added goals and their contributions have proved crucial in recent wins.
 On defence, Cale Hulse, Jamie Allison and Todd Simpson have made the front of the Flames net a place opposing forwards are reluctant to visit.
 What a difference a couple of weeks makes.
 This team has gone from a couple of points out of last in the entire NHL to a view of second place in the division.
 It's a race which is, of course, a long way from over.
 A closer inspection of that race will show many teams have games in hand on Calgary, and could well put the Flames to the back of the pack again.
 But right now the rear-view mirror is slowly filling up.
 The race is on.