NHL
Ricky Rothstein
October 27, 2017

Dallas Stars vs. Calgary Flames: NHL Odds, Prediction

The Calgary Flames open a season-high six-game homestand Friday with a seemingly big advantage over the Dallas Stars, who are on the second of a back-to-back. It’s the latest-starting NHL game of the night.

Dallas Stars at Calgary Flames

When: Friday, 9 p.m. ET
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome
Moneylines: Flames -136, Stars +123 (5.5)

NHL Odds and Betting Analysis

First of two meetings between the teams, with Calgary going to Dallas on Nov. 24 during one of two six-game road trips this season.

The clubs split last year, each winning on the road. The Stars won the first meeting 4-2 at the Saddledome. Jamie Benn scored two goals, including the eventual winner at 7:20 of the third period on the power play. Johnny Gaudreau had both Flames goals, in the second period. Kari Lehtonen was in net for Dallas and made 29 saves. In Texas, the Flames won 2-1. Sean Monahan scored on a power play midway through the third period past Lehtonen for the winner. Gaudreau assisted on that and added a goal – he was named the No. 1 star. Gaudreau has eight points (6G, 2A) in eight career games vs. Dallas.

Calgary is 5-2 in the past seven meetings overall and the under is 4-1 in the previous five.

Dallas Stars

The Stars (5-5-0) are 0-2 on a five-game road trip and have just one victory in five away games this season following a 5-4 loss in Edmonton on Thursday night. The Oilers’ Matt Benning scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:27 remaining as the Stars blew a 4-3 third-period lead. Benn had two goals for Dallas and leads the team in goals (7) and points (13).

Ben Bishop had been pulled from Tuesday’s loss in Colorado but did get the start Thursday and was on the hook for all five goals allowed. Thus, it should be Lehtonen in net here as goaltenders rarely play both ends of a back-to-back.

Calgary Flames

The Flames (5-5-0) finished a two-game road trip to Nashville and St. Louis with a split following a 5-2 loss to the Blues on Wednesday. Because that was the second of a back-to-back, No. 2 goaltender Eddie Lack got his first start of the season in place of Mike Smith, and Lack made 24 saves. He entered 6-0 in his career against the Blues, so you can see why Coach Glen Gulutzan set up his rotation that way.

Mikael Backlund had both goals for the Flames, while Matthew Tkachuk had two assists in Calgary’s first road loss since opening night in Edmonton. Jaromir Jagr missed both games of the trip with a lower-body injury and it’s not clear if he will return Friday. The future Hall of Famer has two assists in five games. One thing Gulutzan likely will address ahead of Friday is the penalty kill. The Predators were 2-for-3 on the power play and so were the Blues. Prior to those games, the Flames had killed off all 19 penalties on the road.