Edmonton Oilers Vs. Calgary Flames (5/20/22) Betting Odds, Prediction, Line Combination, Starting Goalies
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In Game One of the Western Conference Second Round Matthew Tkachuk scored a hat trick for the Calgary Flames, who gave up a four-goal lead before recovering for a 9-6 win against the Edmonton Oilers. Blake Coleman scored two goals while Andrew Mangiapane added a goal and two assists in the Flames victory.
The Oilers are currently +2200 to win the Stanley Cup this year; they haven’t won the Stanley Cup since beating the Boston Bruins in the 1989-90 Stanley Cup Final. Calgary is +210 to win the Western Conference and +500 to hoist the 2021-22 Stanley Cup; they last won the title in 1988-89 led by the great captain, Lanny McDonald over the Montreal Canadiens.
Edmonton Oilers Vs. Calgary Flames Betting Odds
Edmonton is +290 to beat Calgary in the second round and advance to the Western Conference Finals. The Oilers are 1-5 in their last six Conference Semifinals games. Edmonton is 8-2 in their last 10 after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. Over is 5-1 in the Oilers last six Conference Semifinals games. The home team is 6-0 in the last six meetings between Edmonton and Calgary. Calgary is -380 to win “The Battle of Alberta” against Edmonton and advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2003-04. The Flames are 1-4 in their last five Conference Semifinals games. Under is 11-5-2 Calgary’s last 18 playoff games as a favorite. Over is 5-1 in the Flames last six when their opponent scores five goals or more in their previous game.
Edmonton Oilers Analysis
Connor McDavid led the NHL in scoring with 123 points (44 goals and 79 assists) this season. The Oilers captain was a +28 and scored nine game winning goals in 2021-22. He had a goal and three assists in the opening game against Calgary: 18 points overall to lead the NHL in postseason scoring. McDavid has a four-game goal scoring streak, while also becoming the fifth player in league history to get multiple points in seven of his first eight games in a single postseason, per NHL.com. The Oilers number 97 is +2500 to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Leon Draisaitl was third in the league in scoring with 110 points; second in goals overall with 55. The 2019-20 Hart Trophy winner was second in the NHL with 41 points on the power play and 24 power play goals in 2021-22. In Game One against Calgary, the Oilers number 29 had a goal and two assists; he has 12 points overall (six goals and six assists) this postseason. Leon Draisaitl is +3500 to win the 2021-22 Conn Smythe Trophy this season. Zach Hyman had 54 points (27 goals and 27 assists) in the regular season, in the first game of the second round he scored two goals. In the 2021-22 postseason, he has six points (four goals and two assists). In 43 games this season with the Oilers, Evander Kane had 39 points (22 goals and 17 assists). Kane, a +5 in the postseason, ranks third on the club in playoff scoring with nine points (seven goals and two assists).
Evan Bouchard led Edmonton’s defensemen in points with 43 (12 goals and 31 assists) in 81 games. He was a +10, blocking 112 shots and delivering 80 hits this year. Bouchard has six points (one goal and five assists) in eight postseason games this season. Cody Ceci has tallied six points (one goal and five assists) in eight playoff games in 2021-22. Additionally, he’s +5 while averaging 20:50 of ice time per game.
In Game One against Calgary, Mike Smith allowed three goals on 10 shots before being replaced in the first period by Miko Koskinen, who made 32 saves. The 39-year-old Smith has a .930 save percentage and a 2.68 GAA in eight playoff games this season. If he struggles, the Oilers will have a steep hill to climb to beat the talented Flames.
Calgary Flames Analysis
Johnny Gaudreau, the second leading scorer in the NHL this season with 115 points (tied for Florida’s Justin Huberdeau) scored the game winning goal in Game Seven of the first round to propel the Calgary Flames over the Dallas Stars to set up the second-round matchup with the Edmonton Oilers in “The Battle of Alberta.” Gaudreau leads the team in playoff scoring with 11 points (two goals and nine assists) and is +1400 to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Matthew Tkachuk is one of the top power forwards in the NHL and joined his teammate Gaudreau in the 100-point club this year with 104 points; he was tied for the team lead in goals with 42. The 24-year-old was a +57 while scoring 12 power play goals and six game winning goals this campaign. Per NHL.com. Tkachuk’s hat trick in Game One of the second round is the sixth by a Flames player in the playoffs and first since Theo Fleury had one in Game Four of the 1995 Conference Quarterfinals. Elias Lindholm scored 42 goals in the regular season and was a +61 on the season. In the postseason, he’s third on the team in scoring with seven points (four goals and three assists).
Rasmus Andersson led all Flames blueliners with 50 points this year (four goals and 46 assists). In his sixth NHL season, he was a +30 while averaging 22:41 of ice time per game. In Game One against Edmonton, he had a goal and two assists; in eight playoff games the year he has five points.
Jakob Markstrom will ultimately be the key to Calgary winning the Stanley Cup. In the Game One, he made 22 saves, but allowed six goals. This was a departure from the fantastic Game Seven he played against Dallas only a few nights earlier. Through eight playoff games in 2021-22, Calgary’s number 25 has a .923 save percentage (203 saves on 220 shot attempts) and a 2.08 GAA. Markstrom is +1800 to win the 2021-22 Conn Smythe Trophy.
Edmonton Oilers Vs. Calgary Flames Picks & Prediction
During the regular season, the Oilers scored 3.5 goals per game, ranking them seventh in the NHL. In eight playoff games Edmonton has scored 33 goals: 4.12 goals per game. On the defensive side, the Oilers allowed 3.1 per contest which was 18th in the league. Edmonton is 5-0 in their last five Friday games. The Oilers are 7-3 in their last 10 road games. The Flames scored 3.5 goals per game during the regular season, sixth in the NHL. They’ve scored 24 goals this postseason: averaging three goals per game. Defensively Calgary allowed 2.5 goals per game, third overall. The Flames are 23-9 in their last 32 games as a home favorite. Calgary is 1-4 in their last five Friday games.
Game One on Wednesday night was a game straight from the 1980’s with the teams combining for 15 goals on 75 shots. I’d expect Mike Smith (who should be back in net for the Oilers) and Jakob Markstrom to play better in Game Two. I do like the Oilers to win the game on Friday, 5-3; with the teams combining for over 6.5 goals and sending the series back to Edmonton tied at one game apiece.
Edmonton Oilers Vs. Calgary Flames Starting Goalies & Line Combination
