Welcome to the return of NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in. Today we’re looking at the Minnesota Wild against the Calgary Flames. Be sure to check out more NHL predictions every day there’s hockey this 2024-25 season.
NHL Predictions
Minnesota Wild (13-3-3) vs Calgary Flames (11-6-3)
Time: 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: ESPN+, A BSN, BSWI, SN West
2023-24 head-to-head: Minnesota won 2-1
The Minnesota Wild currently sit second in the Western Conference as they prepare for their first matchup of the season against Calgary. The Flames surprisingly currently sit second in the Pacific division. The Wild have been one of the best teams in the West all season and bring a two-game winning streak to Calgary. The Flames are in the midst of a great run including a three-game winning streak. Something has to give. Let’s dive into this matchup and who has the best chance to continue their winning ways.
Wild Wrap-Up Short Road Trip
Minnesota will play the final game of their short three-game road trip in Calgary today. They won their first two games of the trip beating the St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers. The Wild rank in the top ten in some key statistical categories. Sitting sixth in the league in goals for and third in the league in goals against. With a plus-20 goal differential it’s easy to see why this team is near the top of the Western Conference. The Wild are a solid team that plays well in all situations.
The Wild are being led by goaltender Filip Gustavsson who has a league-best 2.07 goals-against average to go along with a solid 9.26 Save Percentage. Playing at a Vezina-calibre right now, Gustavsson gives the Wild a chance to win every night. Minnesota is pairing solid goaltending and team defence with an effective offence. The Wild are getting good contributions from youngsters Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy. They also have the current league leader in points in game-breaker Kirill Kaprizov. This team can beat you with defence or offence which is why they are one of the best teams in the league right now.
Flames Look To Keep Rolling At Home
The Calgary Flames currently sit 8-3 at home this season. Coming off three straight home wins against Nashville, the New York Islanders, and New York Rangers. They’re getting top-ten goaltending from rookie goalie Dustin Wolf right now. His play and the play of his running mate Dan Vladar are a big reason for the Flames’ success. Calgary currently sits 8th in the league in goals against. With sound goaltending, the Flames are able to keep games close when they bring their best effort. The biggest concern for the Flames is their inability to score.
The Calgary Flames haven’t managed to score more than three goals in a game in their last 17 games. They currently sit 22nd in the league in goals for. If the Flames have too many defensive breakdowns or the goaltending is great, they don’t have the firepower to get back into games. The Flames need to grind out wins edging teams in low-scoring one-goal games. The Flames have seen some positive trends recently. Youngsters Matthew Coronato and Connor Zary look dangerous in most games and are finding ways to contribute offensively. Calgary’s powerplay also looks to be improving as they’ve scored in each of their last two games after changing personnel. The Flames will look to continue keeping games close with good defensive hockey and hoping to score the big goal at the right time.
NHL Predictions Wild and Flames
On paper Minnesota is the better team. They do a great job keeping the puck out of the net and have more firepower up front than the Flames. However, this is the Wild’s final game on a road trip before they head home for a massive game against the league-leading Winnipeg Jets. This could be a game the Wild overlook, making it more of a toss-up. The Flames are playing some of their best hockey of the year and have the advantage of being at home where they’ve been very good this year. Expect this game to be very close and come down to the third period. Even in a letdown game, the Wild should be able to hold off Calgary in a close low-scoring battle.
Prediction: Minnesota win 3-2
Prop Bets of The Night
BET365 is aligned with our prediction of Minnesota as the favourite. The over/under is set at 5.5 total goals with the under paying out +200 it’s worth a look.
On the Flames side, Connor Zary has been creating a lot of chances as of late so we like taking him over 1.5 total shots on goal at a +155.
For Minnesota the offence is driven by Kirill Kaprizov. Coming off a quiet one point night in Edmonton expect him to find a way to produce. We like taking Kaprizov to go over 1.5 points at +228.
Main Photo: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
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