The Calgary Flames will look to keep their postseason hopes alive when they visit the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena tonight.
Calgary is tied on points with Winnipeg with 89, though the Jets hold the second wild-card spot by virtue of having a game in hand. The Flames come into the contest hot with six wins in their last eight contests, while the Canucks have just one victory in their last five due to some lackluster defending.
Can Calgary pick up a crucial win over a struggling Vancouver team to stay in the playoff hunt? We’ll hash it out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Flames vs. Canucks on Saturday, April 8.
Flames vs Canucks best odds
Flames vs Canucks picks and predictions
Calgary earned arguably its most important win of the season on Wednesday, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 to draw even on points in a tight Western Conference wild card race. The Flames also have the Nashville Predators to worry about, who sit just a point back while also holding a game in hand.
The Flames have found success over the last couple of weeks thanks to their offense, which is scoring 3.75 GPG since March 21 – tied for the fifth-best mark in the NHL over that span.
Tyler Toffoli is leading the way with five goals and 10 points, Andrew Mangiapane has chipped in with four goals, and a total of 16 different skaters have found the back of the net for Calgary during this eight-game stretch.
The Flames have scored five goals in four of those contests, including in a 5-4 overtime win against the Canucks on March 31.
Vancouver had gotten into a solid defensive groove with the return of Thatcher Demko in late February, but the Canucks have been letting plenty of pucks into their net of late. Though Demko put up a shutout in a 3-0 win over the lowly Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Vancouver had allowed 5 GAPG in the four contests prior, with Demko surrendering at least four goals in all three of his starts.
With the Flames coming in hot and looking motivated to make a late push for the playoffs, I expect Calgary to put up at least four goals tonight against a disinterested Canucks defense.
My best bet: Flames Over 3.5 goals (-115 at BetMGM)
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Flames vs Canucks moneyline analysis
The oddsmakers are giving the edge to the visitors tonight as the Flames opened as the -152 favorite in Vancouver. Their edge only increased through Friday as Calgary ended up at around -160 or -165 at most books.
There’s a lot to like about Calgary’s chances in this matchup, both from a head-to-head standpoint as well as a psychological one.
The Flames have dominated the Canucks in recent seasons, going 6-2 in the last eight meetings and 7-3 in their last 10 contests at Rogers Arena. Calgary has also had success against its divisional foes of late with four straight wins against Pacific Division teams.
The Canucks had a good late-season run coinciding with Demko’s return as they went 11-3-0 from February 27 to March 26. That hot streak has now ended and with nothing really left to play for this season, I don’t expect Vancouver to get back to playing its best hockey.
The Flames, on the other hand, are fighting for their playoff lives. Simply put, tonight’s contest is a must-win game for a Calgary squad that had postseason expectations coming into the year.
Considering how both teams are trending and how much more this game will mean to the Flames, I have to side with the visitors tonight.
Flames vs Canucks Over/Under analysis
Tonight’s total opened at 6.5 goals and all signs point to the Over being the smart play.
The Over has cashed in five of the last six meetings between Calgary and Vancouver, while going 5-0-1 in their last six matchups at Rogers Arena. Seven of the last 10 meetings have featured at least seven goals, with five of them featuring eight or more.
The Flames have played plenty of high-scoring contests of late, with the Over cashing in four straight as well as eight of their last 10 games. Eight of Calgary’s last 10 games have also seen at least seven goals.
The Canucks’ games haven’t been quite as thrilling, though four of their last seven contests have featured at least seven goals, while the Over is 4-2-1 over that span.
Vancouver is actually a decent offensive team, averaging 3.33 GPG (11th) this season. Combine that with the Canucks’ porous defense (3.65 GAPG, 28th) as well as the Flames’ surging offense, and I think we'll see seven-plus goals tonight.
Flames vs Canucks betting trend to know
The Over is 4-0 in the Flames’ last four games against a team with a losing record. Find more NHL betting trends for Flames vs. Canucks.
Flames vs Canucks game info
| Location: | Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC |
| Date: | Saturday, April 8, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | CBS |
Flames vs Canucks key injuries
