Face-off: 2100 ET, 18/01/2022
Arena: Scotiabank Saddledome
Florida Panthers kick off a seven-day, five-game road trip through Canada and North West America after scoring 16 goals in their last two games.
Calgary Flames will be looking to bring an end to a worrying slump after losing four straight, with 20 goals conceded in those defeats.
Form will be key here and Florida to win by two goals at 7.50 is the first of our NHL predictions.
Calgary Flames Odds
Following a strong start to the season, Calgary have been brought down to earth and slipped down to 18th in the overall standings after going 2-7-1 in their last 10 games.
After more than a month without a home game, the slumping Flames suffered a 4-1 defeat to the struggling Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
However, Calgary do usually have a potent offence, with 39 points from Johnny Gaudreau and 18 goals from Andrew Mangiapane, so 1.57 for the Flames to score over 2.5 goals catches the eye from the NHL odds.
Darryl Sutter insists that Calgary can’t afford to rely on their standout players and need to produce a team effort, though.
The head coach said: “We don’t have that type of player where you can get away with having that total investment every night.
“On some clubs, you can get away with it, but our club can’t – and it shows.
“You’ve got to keep your finger on it and make sure that everybody is aware of it, and challenge each other to take that next step again.”
Florida Panthers Odds
Florida are on a roll that has seen them jump to the top of the NHL standings, as their offence has exploded, led by left wing Jonathan Huberdeau, who has recorded 20 points in his last eight games.
Since returning from the winter break, the Panthers have gone 8-0-1, with 54 goals scored after crushing Dallas 7-1 and then Columbus 9-2.
“I think confidence is a big thing in the NHL and I can tell you first-hand that every guy in that room has a lot of confidence,” said defenceman MacKenzie Weegar.
“All four lines, all six D, we all have a lot of confidence right now. Even the coaching staff has a lot of confidence back there.
“They’ve done a great job getting us ready and making adjustments throughout the game.”
It is hard not to see Florida maintaining their fine form and going on to a fifth win in a row and 3.1 for the Panthers to win with over 6.5 goals in the game is another of our NHL predictions.
That bet would have landed when they brushed Calgary aside 6-2 at FLA Live Arena a fortnight ago.
The visitors have been fast starters of late and we think that is likely to happen again, with them getting the first goal in the opening period at 2.05 added to our Calgary Flames vs Florida Panthers predictions.
We reckon Florida will start this long road trip off in perfect fashion and 26.0 for a 5-3 scoreline is tempting.
Additional stats
Last result:
CALGARY 1-4 Ottawa
FLORIDA 9-2 Columbus
Head-to-head: Florida 6-2 Calgary
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