The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames meet Wednesday in NHL action at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Here’s a Flames vs Canucks Prediction. This article will include a Flames vs Canucks Pick.
Vancouver Canucks Betting Preview
The Vancouver Canucks lost to the Stars and Canadiens, and they play the Blackhawks, Utah, and Jets next. The Canucks have lost six of their last nine games and are getting rocked defensively during this stretch.
The Vancouver Canucks are averaging 2.7 goals per game and are scoring 22.5 percent of their power play opportunities. Jake DeBrusk leads Vancouver with 22 goals, Quinn Hughes has 46 assists and Conor Garland has 139 shots on goal. Defensively, the Vancouver Canucks are allowing 3.03 goals per game and are killing 82.3 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Thatcher Demko has given up 45 goals on 412 shots faced, and Kevin Lankinen has allowed 103 goals on 1,080 shots.
Calgary Flames Betting Preview
The Calgary Flames lost to the Stars, beat the Canadiens, and they play the Avs, Maple Leafs, and Rangers next. The Flames have won back-to-back games just once since January 26.
The Calgary Flames are averaging 2.56 goals per game and are scoring 21.2 percent of their power play opportunities. Jonathan Huberdeau leads Calgary with 22 goals, MacKenzie Weegar has 29 assists and Nazem Kadri has 211 shots on goal. Defensively, the Calgary Flames are allowing 2.87 goals per game and are killing 74.9 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Dustin Wolf has allowed 96 goals on 1,128 shots faced, and Dan Vladar has given up 75 goals on 704 shots.
Why the Calgary Flames will win
- The Flames have won six of their last seven games against Pacific Division opponents.
- The Canucks have lost six of their last seven games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The Canucks have failed to cover the puck line in six of their last seven games against Pacific Division opponents.
- The home team has covered the puck line in four of the last five games between the Canucks and Flames.
- The Canucks have lost the third period in each of their last eight games as road underdogs against Pacific Division opponents.
Why the Vancouver Canucks will win
- The Flames have lost each of their last four games as home favorites following a home win.
- The Canucks have won five of their last seven games as underdogs following a home loss.
- The Flames have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six games at Scotiabank Saddledome.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in each of the Flames’ last four games.
- The Flames have lost the first period in seven of their last eight games as home favorites following a home win.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Calgary Flames rank 32nd in the league for goals per game this season (2.56).
- The Calgary Flames rank 26th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (74.87%).
- The Vancouver Canucks rank 5th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (82.32%).
- The Vancouver Canucks rank 27th in the league for goals per game this season (2.70).
Flames vs Canucks Injury Report
The Flames will be without Justin Kirkland and Anthony Mantha.
The Canucks will be without Thatcher Demko, Quinn Hughes, and Noah Juulsen.
Flames vs Canucks Prediction
The Canucks are going through a rough stretch which includes losses in four of their last six games, and they’ve allowed four or more goals in four of those games. I doubt things get better on the road. The Flames have earned points in four straight games and seven of their last nine games. The Flames are also at their best on their home ice where 18 of their 30 wins have come. The home team has won seven of the last 10 games between the Canucks and Flames. The price feels a little too good to be true. I’ll gladly side with the Flames at home.