Don’t look now, but the Calgary Flames are bearing down on the Winnipeg Jets in the race for a wild card out of the Western Conference. Even though the Flames are just 5-3-2 in their last 10, they are gaining ground. If Calgary beats Vancouver tonight, and winnipeg loses to Detroit, the two teams will be tied in points, with each team still to play six games. Winnipeg does have three more regulation wins (the first tiebreaker), but Calgary could have the momentum to overtake them. The Flames get mostly lottery teams the rest of the way, with the exception coming against Winnipeg on Wednesday. The Jets have to play New Jersey, Minnesota and Colorado yet. Let’s look at a couple of NHL betting picks from the ice for this weekend.
NHL News: Top Bets for the Weekend
Calgary Flames (-1.5) at Vancouver Canucks (O/U 6.5)
Friday, March 31 – 10:00 pm ET | Calgary (34-26-15) has won their last two, and their offense has taken off as of late, notching 14 goals over their last four games, boosting their season average to 3.13 goals per contest. Elias Lindholm, Nazem Kadri and Tyler Toffoli have combined for 75 goals and 106 assists between the two top lines. The checking lines have also chipped in, as Mikael Backlund, Jonathan Huberdeau and Dillon Dube have combined for 49 goals and 92 assists. The defense has been the issue, permitting 3.05 goals per game. Jacob Markstrom has been inconsistent in goal, posting an .892 save percentage and a 2.94 GAA. His goals saved above average is an unimpressive -17.5.
Vancouver (34-34-6) has won seven of their last ten games, even though they are not in a playoff position right now. In the last four games, they have lit the lamp 19 times, moving their season average to 3.38 goals per game. On the two scoring lines, Andrei Kuzmenko, J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson have combined for 101 goals and 137 assists. On the checking lines, Dakota Joshua, Conor Garland and Brock Boeser have combined for 40 goals and 73 assists. From the blue line, defenseman Quinn Hughes has jumped in to score seven goals and deliver 65 assists. The defense, though, has been porous, permitting 3.66 goals per game. In net, Thatcher Demko has a sizable 3.32 GAA, with just an .895 save percentage. Calgary to win, Vancouver to cover.
Boston Bruins (-1.5) at Pittsburgh Penguins (O/U 6.5)
Saturday, April 1 – 3:00 pm ET | Boston (58-12-5) has the President’s Trophy and is now chasing the league record for wins and points in a season. They will have home-ice advantage through the playoffs and are now just winning for glory. Their 58th win, on Thursday, set a franchise record, as they took down Columbus at home in overtime, 2-1. David Pastrnak needed less than a minute of the extra frame to notch his 53rd goal of the season, as Linus Ullmark stopped 25 shots and Tyler Bertuzzi scored the other Boston goal. The record (62) is just four wins away, and the team has seven games to do it. The Bruins are now 8-1 in their last nine games overall, and they are 8-2 in their last ten road games. Jeremy Swayman will start in net for the B’s, and he has an 8-2 record in his last ten games, posting three shutouts and an overall 2.00 GAA.
Pittsburgh (37-28-10) is in a fight for the last wild card position in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They shut out Nashville on Thursday, 2-0, as Tristan Jarry stopped 27 shots to record his 13th career shutout. After missing over a week with a lower-body injury, Jarry looks healthy at the right time. Jake Guentzel has 10 goals and three assists in his last 13 games, and since March 7, he has the second-highest goal total in the league. However, the Penguins have won just four times in their last 10 games. The Penguins are 0-1-1 against the Bruins this season, and Jarry is 0-0-1 against Boston this year, permitting six goals on 40 shots on november 1. Boston to win and cover.
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