The Pittsburgh Penguins will play the Calgary Flames on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. Let’s take a look at the Penguins preview, Flames preview, betting matchup, and the Penguins vs Flames prediction.
Penguins Preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins are 27-22-8 this year after they lost to Seattle by a score of 2-0 in their last game. Pittsburgh allowed one goal in the first period and one in the third for the shutout loss. The Penguins out shot Seattle by a total of 33-28 and went 0-3 on the power play in the game. Pittsburgh had won their previous three games against Vancouver, Philadelphia, and Montreal. The Penguins are scoring 2.95 goals per game and they are allowing 2.70 goals against per game, while going 14.6% on the power play and 82.6% on the penalty kill. Sidney Crosby has led Pittsburgh with 32 goals, 30 assists, and 206 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Pittsburgh is Tristan Jarry, who is 17-18-4 this season with a 2.56 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
Flames Preview
The Calgary Flames are 29-25-5 this season after they defeated the Kings by a score of 4-2 in their last game. Calgary trailed 1-0 in the second period, but they scored four of the last five goals for the win. The Flames out shot LA by a total of 37-23 and went 0-3 on the power play in the game. Calgary has also defeated Edmonton, Boston, and Winnipeg during this winning streak. The Flames are scoring 3.14 goals per game and they are allowing 3.05 goals against per game, while going 14.3% on the power play and 83.1% on the penalty kill. Nazem Kadri has led Calgary with 21 goals, 30 assists, and 189 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Calgary is Jacob Markstrom, who is 20-15-2 this season with a 2.56 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.
Calgary Flames Team Facts
- The Flames have lost seven of their last eight games as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Flames have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last 11 games as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Flames have won the first period in each of their last seven night games following a home win.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Flames’ last six games following a home win.
Pittsburgh Penguins Team Facts
- The Penguins have won four of their last five games as underdogs against Pacific Division opponents.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in six of the Penguins’ last seven games at Scotiabank Saddledome.
- The favorites have won the first period in six of the Penguins’ last seven games.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in four of the Penguins’ last five games as underdogs against opponents on a winning streak.
Penguins vs Flames Betting Prediction
Calgary comes into this game looking for their fifth straight win and they are playing some of their best hockey of the season. The Flames are 15-13-1 at home this year and have wins against some very good teams recently. Pittsburgh is 12-12-4 on the road and they were just shutout by Seattle, but they did generate a lot of scoring chances in the game. The Penguins have won three of their last four games and while they are solid defensively, they still struggle to score at times. Take the Flames at home here.