Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Saturday’s Battle of Alberta between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.
Oilers vs. Flames Odds
- Calgary Flames Moneyline: -113
- Edmonton Oilers Moneyline: +104
- Puck Line: Flames +1.5 (+204), Oilers -1.5 (-237)
- Game Total: 6 (Over -117, Under +104)
Game odds courtesy of Pinnacle.
Handicapping the Flames (34-37 SU, 35-36 ATS, 29-41-5 O/U)
Calgary will kick off a three-game road trip on Saturday in Edmonton. The Flames had their four-game win streak snapped on Friday when they lost 5-2 to the Dallas Stars. Calgary is now six points back of the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, but they have three games in hand.
So far this season, Calgary is 15-14-6 away from home, but the Flames have won three in a row on the road. Also, despite losing seven of the last 10 meetings against the Oilers, the Flames have won their last two trips to Rogers Place.
That said, the Flames haven’t been playing great at five-on-five in March. They have controlled play overall with a 53 percent share of the shot attempts in 13 games this month, but they rank 26th in expected goals percentage and goal share, so they haven’t been very effective. Only three teams have scored fewer five-on-five goals per 60 minutes.
Calgary’s power play has been mediocre, like it has been all season, but the Flames have been one of the best teams on the penalty kill as of late. Year-to-date, they’ve killed off just 74.31 percent of their penalties, but they’ve successfully killed off 85.7 percent in March.
Jonathan Huberdeau leads the way over the last 10 games, with five goals and seven assists, but Nazem Kadri has been a goal-scoring machine, notching eight goals to go along with two helpers in his last 10 outings. Goaltender Dustin Wolf has also performed well this month, going 4-3-2 and saving the team nearly six goals above expected.
As far as injuries go, the Flames will likely be without forward Connor Zary, who suffered a knee injury on Thursday against the Stars. Zary underwent an initial assessment that apparently offered encouraging results, according to TSN’s Darren Dregor, but he’ll need further testing and imaging to determine the extent of his injury.
Handicapping the Oilers (41-31 SU, 26-46 ATS, 34-37-1 O/U)
The Oilers managed to win their first game without their two top stars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but after falling 4-3 to the Dallas Stars on home ice, Edmonton travelled to Seattle to play their second game in as many nights and were blown out 6-1.
Edmonton and Seattle finished the first period in a scoreless tie, but the Kraken exploded for five goals in the second period and chased goaltender Calvin Pickard from the net. The Oilers answered with a Zach Hyman goal at the five minute mark of the third period, but Seattle regained their five-goal lead a few minutes later.
Former second-round pick Olivier Rodrigue made his NHL debut in relief of Pickard and stopped seven of eight shots. The 24-year-old goaltender looked solid, playing the entire third period, and could be in line to make his first career start in the Battle of Alberta on Saturday. Needless to say, playing in such a big matchup would be a good test for the Chicoutimi, Quebec native.
The Oilers have won seven of their last 10 games against the Flames, however, the two teams have split the first two meetings this season. Calgary won the first game on Oct. 13 by a score of 4-1, while Edmonton won the second meeting 4-2 on Nov. 3. Edmonton will play seven of its 10 remaining games against Pacific Division teams, but this will be the final regular season meeting between the Flames and Oilers.
On the injury front, on top of McDavid, Draisaitl, and goaltender Stuart Skinner all dealing with injuries, defenseman Mattias Ekholm also missed Thursday’s game in Seattle, but his absence was described as maintenance, though, so he could be back in the lineup on Saturday.
Best Bet for Flames vs. Oilers
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Anytime Goal (+225)
Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ranks second on the team in shots on goal (29) over the last 10 games, and he’s been picking up a lot of the slack with McDavid and Draisaitl out. He’s registered 19 shots on goal in his last five games, scoring four goals in the process. Zach Hyman is still more likely to score, but the odds reflect that, and therefore, Nugent-Hopkins is a more attractive bet at +225.
