Calgary Flames vs. Boston Bruins Prediction, NHL Odds
Calgary has slipped down to fifth place in the Pacific Division and will wrap up a three-game road trip visiting one of the NHL’s best in Boston.
The Bruins may get even stronger tonight, as their top defenceman is eyeing an early return to the lineup. Boston is a -178 favourite to win on the NHL odds with the total set at 6.0.
Flames vs. Bruins NHL Betting Odds
Boston and Calgary only met twice last season, with each team taking a win on the road. Five of their past six meetings have played the Over, dating all the way back to 2018, with each team winning three games over that span. Patrice Bergeron has scored 23 points (10G, 13A) in his 23 career games versus Calgary, while on the Flames’ side, Nazem Kadri has 22 points (8G, 14A) in 36 games against the Bruins.
The Flames covered the spread in their most recent game, a 3-2 loss to the red-hot New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. That snapped a five-game skid ATS, boosting their record to 4-8 on the season. They have had trouble keeping the puck out of their net, allowing 3.33 goals-against on average (22nd in NHL). While their six-game losing streak is ugly, five of those losses have been within a goal.
The Bruins got back in the win column Monday night when they hosted the struggling St. Louis Blues. The 3-1 win played the Under, making it the fifth of their past seven games to go that way. That puts their overall record on the total to 7-5-1 to the Over. Boston has made bettors bank against the spread so far this season, going 10-3 ATS with only one win coming within a goal. They are scoring at a league-leading 4.1 goals per game pace, helping them to an 11-2 overall record.
Calgary Flames
The Flames’ six-game losing streak has to sting a little extra being so close in every matchup. Five of the six losses have come within a goal and they have managed an overtime point in two of them.
They scored first in their most recent game Tuesday night in New Jersey with Nazem Kadri’s power play marker putting them in the lead after the first period for the third game in a row. Tyler Toffoli would add another power play goal in the third before the Devils would score the game-winner in the final 10-minutes of the game. Jacob Markstrom would allow three goals on only 20 shots, losing his fifth straight start.
On a brighter note, Elias Lindholm has seem to have found his old self over the past six games, leading the Flames in scoring in that span with six points (2G, 4A), after only two points in his first six games.
The Flames may turn the starting duties over to backup and former Bruin Dan Vladar for Thursday night’s battle, considering how mediocre Markstrom has been over the stretch. Vladar has only started two games so far this season, going 1-1 and posting a 3.81 goals-against average.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins improved to 7-0 on home ice Monday night, with a 3-1 win over the Blues. Linus Ullmark stopped 26 of 27 shots to improve to 9-1 on the season, boosting his save percentage to .932 (7th in NHL) and his goals-against average to 2.05 (5th in NHL). Jake Debrusk (5th) scored on the power play to get the B’s rolling offensively after three consecutive penalty kills. Captain Patrice Bergeron (5th) scored again with the man advantage and Trent Frederick capped the night off with his third of the season. Boston’s special teams have been incredible out of the gate, boasting the league’s best PK (93.3 per cent) and the seventh-best power play (26.7 per cent).
If the B’s were not already scary enough, it looks like their star defenceman, Charlie McAvoy, is just about ready to rejoin the team after off-season shoulder surgery. Coach Jim Montgomery said the 24-year-old would be playing within a week but would not confirm or deny that he plays versus Calgary. The Bruins just sent defenceman Mike Rielly to the AHL to make room for McAvoy, so do not be surprised if he makes his debut Thursday.
CAL
BOS