The Calgary Flames are in that five-team logjam atop the Pacific Division, where just four points separate first place from fifth. The Vegas Golden Knights have started to make a play for the lead, winners of four in a row, and now they lead Edmonton by a point. Calgary is currently tied with Arizona for fourth place in the division, with 68 points in 61 games. They have split their last ten games and need to build some consistency if they want to keep up. They welcome the Boston Bruins on Friday night. The Bruins knocked off the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night in overtime and now lead the Tampa Bay Lightning by three points, with both teams having played 61 games. Can the Bruins keep that momentum going as they traverse Western Canada? Or will Calgary pick up two crucial points to avoid falling behind the others atop the Pacific? Don’t miss our sports betting preview of this Friday night matchup. Let’s see how the NHL odds will be for the Bruins vs Flames.
Bruins vs Flames 2020 NHL Game Preview & Betting Odds
- When: Friday, February 21, 2020, 9:00 pm ET
- Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
- TV: NESN / RSN1
- Radio: WBZ 98.5 FM Boston / CFAC 960 AM Calgary
- Live Stream: NHL Stream
- NHL Odds: Boston -1.5 / O/U 5.5
Why should you bet on Boston?
Boston has won 10 of their last 11, and their offense has been humming. On the season, they average 3.3 goals per game and score on almost 26 percent of their power plays. David Pastrnak leads the team with 43 goals, while Brad Marchand is the assist leader is 52. On defense, the Bruins are only permitting 2.3 goals per night and stopping the opponent almost 84 percent of the time with the man advantage.
Pastrnak had the game-winning goal 1:14 into overtime on Wednesday, taking a pass from David Krejci and going five-hole on Edmonton goalie Mike Smith. Patrice Bergeron had the other goal for the B’s. Edmonton played well despite missing Connor McDavid (leg). Boston did surrender their 1-0 lead four minutes into the third period, as Edmonton scored on a power play, but they kept the pressure up and ended up on the right side of a closely contested game, the sort of win that adds mental strength.
Why should you put your money on Calgary?
It has been feast or famine for the Calgary Flames over their last four games, as they have gone 2-2. One common feature of all four games has been an explosion of offense. In those four games, the Flames have scored 19 goals — but they have given up 17. They beat Anaheim last Thursday, 6-0 and then again on Monday, 6-4. However, they lost in Los Angeles, 5-3, last Wednesday and then lost at home to Chicago, 8-4, on Saturday. With three full days off, the Flames need to figure out that offense-defense balance if they want to contend.
In their win over Anaheim on Monday, Calgary turned an early 3-1 deficit into that 6-4 win, as Andrew Mangiapane had a hat trick and an assist. Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Sean Monahan also lit the lamp for the Flames. Cam Talbot stopped 26 shots for the Flames. However, it is one thing to score five unanswered goals against a team like Anaheim, which has major issues on defense, and quite another to dig a hole like that against Boston and hope to find a way out.
Bruins vs Flames Final Score Prediction
Calgary can pour on the offense, but I’m not sure they can keep up with the Boston offense in their own end of the rink. If this were a back-to-back for Boston, I might be tempted to pick the speedy Flames, but Boston had Thursday off between games, so they should have the legs to keep up. I predict a final score of Boston 5, Calgary 2.
