Flames vs. Bruins Odds
| Flames Odds | +162 |
| Bruins Odds | -196 |
| Over/Under | 6 (-116/-104) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | SN360 |
The Calgary Flames haven't been very hot as of late and are coming into Boston on a six-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins have arguably been the best team in the NHL and enter this contest with a 11-2-0 record. Boston's key to success has been its defense and the play of Linus Ullmark in the net.
Rumor has it that Charlie McAvoy will be making his season debut in this game, so that will only add to the success of the Bruins' defensive unit.
Calgary Flames
The Flames might be on a six-game losing streak, but the losses haven't necessarily been all that bad, as five of the six losses have been by one goal.
Jacob Markstrom hasn't been nearly as good as he was last season, but he is bound to pick his game up. He comes into this contest sporting a 4-3-2 record with a .893 SV% and a 2.97 GAA to go with his +2.0 GSAx. He was one of the best goalies in the league last season and I believe he could get back to form again.
The Flames have been much better defensively than their results are showing. They have allowed the third fewest high-danger chances against and are also the fifth-best team in allowing shots on goal — their opponents average 28.2 shots per game.
The offensive output hasn't come as easy for the Flames as it did last year. They are scoring 3.08 goals per game (17th) and this will be their third game in four nights, so their legs probably won't be very fresh. Calgary hasn't been able to find consistent goal scoring this season and I see that continuing to be a struggle in this game.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins have been absolutely incredible on both sides of the puck. They have won eight of their past nine games and are expected to have star defenseman Charlie McAvoy for the first time this season. McAvoy had surgery this offseason and has been itching to get back on the ice with his teammates. He makes this blue line so much stronger.
Not only has the Bruins defense been strong to kick off the year, but the goaltending has been even better. Linus Ullmark has been nothing short of incredible in the blue paint. He is buzzing right now with a record of 9-1-0, a .932 SV% and a 2.05 GAA along with a +4.9 GSAx. A key to Ullmark's success has been the performance of the guys in front of him. They allow the second fewest chances against per game (9.15) and the team as a whole has the third-best goals against (2.38). Perhaps the most important statistic is that the Bruins have the best penalty kill in the league with a 93.3% success rate.
Boston's offensive production has slowed down a bit as of late. The Bruins have nine goals combined over the course of their previous three games. They are the only team in the league that is undefeated on home ice and the Bruins will do everything in their power to protect that.
Flames vs. Bruins Pick
The Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins have been two of the best teams defensively this season. They both have some offensive weapons, but the blue lines have been the story.
The Bruins have been unstoppable on home ice, which is very bad news for the Flames, who can't seem to buy a win.
Darryl Sutter will have his Flames ready to go. He always knows how to fire his team up. That being said, they will have to dig deep since they are most likely tired from playing so much hockey as of late. I think the fatigue will kick in for Calgary, limiting the Flames' ability to generate offense.
