A frenetic night in the NHL includes a matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Calgary Flames. Welcome back to NHL predictions here on Last Word on Hockey! Each day, we examine upcoming games to provide predictions and head-to-head matchup analysis. In today’s prediction article, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins Jonathan Huberdeau and the Calgary Flames. Be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for all the games on this eventful Saturday night!
NHL Predictions
Calgary Flames vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Head-to-Head: Flames 1-0 Penguins
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST); 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST)
TV: NHL Network, Sportsnet+,
Approaching the holiday season, the NHL season is in full swing. The two teams in this matchup are facing very different situations. The Penguins are 9-12-4, sitting last in the Metropolitan Division. However, they have won two straight and could be looking to gain some momentum. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames have exceeded expectations thus far with a 12-8-4 record. They sit third in the Pacific Division, hoping to stave off the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.
The Penguins’ Story
A disappointing season has taken a hopeful turn over the last couple of games. Captain Sidney Crosby has found his groove, with 24 points in 25 games including three in his last two games. Evgeni Malkin has had similar success, scoring 22 points in 25 games. His assist to newcomer Phillip Tomasino in their game winning goal against the Boston Bruins has given the Penguins some hope.
Tristan Jarry has also played well recently. Although he had a .862 save percentage against the Canucks, he was able to get the win. Then against Boston, Jarry made 32 saves on 33 shots, earning a win with a .969 save percentage. However, the Penguins are coming off a game against Boston and will likely start Alex Nedeljkovic against the Flames. He has struggled as of late, with a 1-2-1 record in his last four starts. Nedeljkovic played well for the Penguins last season and will hope to perform closer to that against the Flames.
The Flames’ Story
Calgary has enjoyed a strong start to their season. The team has been getting its scoring by committee. Through 24 games, the team’s highest point-getter is defenceman Rasmus Andersson with 14. However, eight different players have points in the double digits. This system of contribution throughout the lineup has vastly improved the chemistry of the Flames. Veterans Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri lead the forwards in scoring, with 13 and 12 each. On the other hand, the Flames’ young forwards have been another story entirely. Connor Zary and Matt Coronato have had good starts to their seasons. Zary has 12 points in 24 games while playing increased minutes. Meanwhile, Coronato has six goals and 10 points through 19 games, already surpassing his career highs in either category.
Goaltending has been a strong suit of the Flames. The team is led by rookie sensation Dustin Wolf. The former seventh-round pick has gone 8-4-1 through 13 games. Impressively, he has a .918 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average. The young star is helping will the Flames to the playoffs. Making it there would certainly earn him Calder nominations.
NHL Predictions Time
Although the Flames have played well, the Penguins are starting to show life. On home-ice, expect Pittsburgh to extend their win streak to three.
Prediction: Penguins win 5-3.
Prop Bets of the Night
Although the Penguins vs Bruins was a low-scoring 2-1 affair, Pittsburgh is still right at the bottom of the league in goals against. Expect a high-scoring game in Pittsburgh with a confident Penguins team, and with that, FanDuel’s over-total goals prop at +182 for an over 7 is a good bet.
Main Photo: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
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