Coyotes vs. Flames Odds
| Coyotes Odds | +330 |
| Flames Odds | -425 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 (+105/-125) |
| Time | 9 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Pacific Division leading Calgary Flames host the Pacific’s worst Arizona Coyotes. It’ll be the second time both teams square off as the Flames stood victorious back in February 4-2. The Flames come in as the strong favorite at -425, while the Yotes stand at +330 as the underdog.
Arizona is building for the future, although they recently had a stretch where they won eight out of 10 games. However, they’re coming off a three-game losing streak and will look to get off the snide.
As each day passes, Calgary is getting recognized as one of the better teams in the league. They are however, coming off a disappointing loss to the Sharks, where they blew a three-goal lead. Uncharacteristic as it may be, it’s not something to continue to expect out of this team.
Can Post-Deadline Coyotes Compete?
Arizona was fairly active on the trade deadline, although they didn’t trade their biggest pieces in Jakob Chychrun and Phil Kessel. They gave away Riley Nash and Johan Larsson but they have gotten a lot of production from the likes of All Star Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz and Shayne Gostisbehere. Injuries have hit them though, as they'll be missing Chychrun, Andrew Ladd, Antoine Roussel and Dmitrij Jaskin.
With the Yotes being tied for last league-wide, offensively, they are a mess. What else would you expect from a team that scores only 2.59 goals per game? They come into Friday’s matchup last in expected goals with a 41.86 xGF% and are horrible at creating high danger chances. With the man advantage they’re not much better, as they only score 13.8% of the time – good for 30th.
The Coyotes are just as bad on defense as they are on offense allowing 3.59 goals per game. Not only that but they allow the third-most high danger chances, as well as an awful penalty kill with a 73.8% success rate.
This looks to be Karel Vejmelka’s crease as Scott Wedgewood was traded to Dallas. Vejmelka just signed a nice three-year contract extension this week, and is playing great hockey, given the team he’s on. The Czech net-minder is posting a .905 save percentage and a -9.5 GSAx.
Calgary Reinforces Stacked Roster
Calgary had themselves a spicy trade season. Starting it off for all teams, they traded for Tyler Toffoli who has fit in perfectly, and later on with Calle Jarnkrok. It’s hard finding a deeper team than the Flames, with three players averaging more than a point per game (Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm), along with Andrew Mangiapane with 30 goals.
It shouldn’t be a surprise to find out that the Flames are among the best in generating offense, especially at 3.43 goals per game. Calgary ranks second in expected goals with a 56.45 and are ninth at creating high danger chances. They’re also exceptional on the power play, as they score at a 24% clip.
Even with such a powerful offense, Calgary’s defense is where they really thrive. Along with great goaltending, they allow only 2.43 goals per game and limit opposition from generating high danger chances. The penalty kill is among the best as well as they stop the power play 85.4% of the time.
Jacob Markstrom is definitely in contention to win a Vezina this year. He’s been one of the top goalies in the league with an elite .927 save percentage and an +11.1 GSAx. Since the Flames are on the front end of a back to back, I’d think backup Dan Vladar starts, so Markstrom can handle the powerful Oilers on Saturday. Vladar has a .904 save percentage and a -5.3 GSAx. Would be smart to monitor this.
Coyotes vs. Flames Pick
It’s very clear that the Flames have the upper hand over Arizona in every facet of the game. The Coyotes got their hot streak out of the way and are now showing their true colors.
I like Karel Vejmelka a lot, and I think he’s a great goalie for the future. However, against a stacked Flames who are already coming in angry from a tough loss – there may not be much for him.
Arizona does have a lot of upset potential though, as they’ve caught teams by surprise in the past. I’m backing Calgary -1.5, but if you’re looking to hedge your bet, Arizona ML would be a good way to go as well.
Pick: Calgary -1.5 (-160)
