The Calgary Flames will travel to PNC Arena on Friday evening to take on the Calgary Flames in a non-conference matchup.
The Flames are third in the Pacific Division (17-9-6, 40 points) and are riding a two-game losing streak after losing on the road Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1.
The Panthers are third in the Metropolitan Division (23-7-1, 47 points) and are riding a four-game winning streak after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4 on New Year’s Day.
Flames at Hurricanes Betting Preview
Calgary Flames Preview: Bouncing Back
The Calgary Flames have been a pretty solid offensive team this year as they are averaging 3.09 goals on 35 shots per game so far. The offense is being led by left-winger Johnny Gaudreau, who is eighth in the NHL with 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists).
He has recorded seven points in his last four games (four goals, three assists) and has been doing well. If he can continue to keep his hands in the scoring, Calgary should be a dominant team and snap the losing streak.
Jacob Markstrom is expected to get the start inside of the net for the Flames this season and has been playing very well. He is 12-7-5 with a .926 save percentage while allowing 2.15 goals per game.
Markstrom is leading the NHL with five shutouts this season as well. In his last game against the Florida Panthers, Markstrom struggled as he allowed six goals on 45 shots in a losing effort. They are second in the league giving up 77 goals, so they should be in a good spot defensively.
The Flames have been a great team against the power play as they have killed 80-of-95 (84.21 percent) power plays against. This defense should be solid and lead the team in this game.
Carolina Hurricanes Preview: Offensive Juggernaut
The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the best offensive teams in the league as they are scoring 3.42 goals per game on 33.6 shots this season.
The Hurricanes are being led by right-winger Sebastian Aho, who leads the team with 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) and has scored five points in his last three games. If he can continue to be a threat with the puck, the Flames are going to struggle defending him.
Frederik Andersen has been playing well in the net this season for the Hurricanes as he is 17-5-0 this year while giving up 1.92 goals per game with a .929 save percentage. He picked up a win against the Columbus Blue Jackets as he played two periods and allowed one gal on just nine shot attempts. They are the best defense in the league as they have allowed 66 goals and have dominated against the power play.
Carolina has killed 102-of-114 (89.47 percent) of opposing power plays. The defense has carried this franchise this season, so it will be a great chance against a good offensive program.
Who to Bet on Flames at Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are -1.5 on the puck line, but that is the underdog option according to the top sportsbooks in the country. The Hurricanes are the red-hot team in this game as they are averaging 5.3 goals during their winning streak, while the Flames are scoring just 1.5 goals in their last two games.
All in all, go with the Carolina Hurricanes to get to 11-3-0 at home with a multiple-goal win over the Calgary Flames.
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