Calgary Flames vs. Florida Panthers Prediction: Can the Flames Halt Their Skid?
Calgary Flames vs. Florida Panthers Prediction: Can the Flames Halt Their skid?
Calgary Flames vs. Florida Panthers Prediction
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The Florida Panthers (26-7-5) open a four-game road trip on Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames. The Panthers are currently tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the league standings with 57 points, although the Lightning have played two more games. Florida has points in each of their last nine games, including wins over three teams that rank in the top six in terms of points percentage (NYR, CAR, TBL). They've won their last four by a combined score of 25-8, and will look to keep that momentum going against Calgary.
The Flames (17-11-6) have been a story of two teams this season. They started the year red-hot, surprising many as they grabbed the top spot in the Pacific division. They've since fallen out of a playoff spot altogether, going 2-7-1 in their last 10 contests. One of those losses was the first game between these two teams, a 6-2 Panthers victory. The Flames will look to flip the script on them and even the season series at one apiece.
A major cause of Calgary's recent slide has been subpar goaltending. After a strong start to the year, Jacob Markstrom has regressed. Markstrom was initially in the midst of the Vezina conversation, but his recent play has dropped him out of the NHL's top tier of starters. He might not start this game due to injury, in which case Dan Vladar will go. Sergei Bobrovsky will likely man the other net, and he has been excellent. Bobrovsky has saved 18.3 goals above expected this season, a mark that ranks second among all NHL goaltenders.
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Both of these teams have proven to be elite squads at even strength. The Panthers rank second in the NHL with an expected goals share of 55.89%; the Flames trail just behind in fifth with a share of 54.3%. However, the key caveat is that the Panthers' share has held consistent as the year has gone on, while the Flames have largely stagnated around 50% since the beginning of December. Only one of these teams is playing like a true cup contender.
Holistically, this matchup consists of two teams trending in opposite directions. The Flames are in free-fall, while the Panthers are continuing to stack wins. Will those trends reverse course? Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. This line simply isn't giving enough credit to a team that has steamrolled everyone and everything in their path. Bet the Panthers down to -140 on the moneyline.
Calgary Flames vs. Florida Panthers Line Movement
Calgary Flames vs. Florida Panthers Pick
- Pick: Panthers ML (-125) (Bet $125 to win $100)