Tip: Canucks' Meteoric Rise to the Top: An Unstoppable Force Meets the Flames in a High-Stakes Showdown!

What a success! Vancouver Canucks have climbed all the way to the top of the Western Conference after last night's victory against the New York Islanders. It was a strong performance where they managed to turn a 2-0 deficit in the first period into an overtime win. Especially noteworthy was their power play, which carried them during the match as all three goals during regular time came in that form. The home team Calgary Flames will certainly have a challenge when the Canucks visit.

The League's Most Feared Offense

It's no exaggeration to say that Vancouver currently has the league's strongest offense and probably the most feared. Elias Pettersson tops the points table together with J.T. Miller and defenseman Quinn Hughes, the trio each with 26 points. Add to that Brock Boeser, who is at the top of the NHL's goal-scoring list alongside Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets) and Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), and it's easy to see why Vancouver is at the top of the standings. Quinn Hughes leads the points table among defensemen with a five-point margin down to Cale Makar. Everything has been running smoothly for the Canucks at the start of this season, and it's the offense that has led the way. Do I need to mention that they have scored the most goals in the NHL this season? A total of seventy goals have been scored.

The question now is whether this is sustainable over time? We are likely to see a regression before too long, as the numbers that Canucks are currently posting are hard, if not impossible, to maintain. However, this does not take away from the fact that they are a team to be taken seriously this season, I myself am very impressed, and even though we have known for a long time that the potential was there, it has fully blossomed at the start of this season.

Calgary Struggles On

In the home team's camp, the cheers and joy aren't the same, but Flames have at least started to win some matches. They recently managed to defeat Montreal Canadiens by a single goal away. Before that, there was a loss against Ottawa Senators, but then the team was back to back after a great comeback against Toronto Maple Leafs which led to Flames taking home a point. Before the comeback against the Leafs, they also managed to win against Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken during regular time. I'm not going to claim that Flames have turned the season around and will make the playoffs without problems, they still have a lot to deal with, but it looks at least somewhat better. Especially, I think the lines Ryan Huska puts up are starting to settle better after all the experimenting. In goal, Jacob Markström has been good and made some saves against Montreal.

A look at the underlying numbers is always interesting when one team is strong and another is struggling. We shouldn't draw too big conclusions from it, but it's also not something to ignore as the season progresses. In 5-on-5 play, Calgary has a positive xGF% and Vancouver a negative. Vancouver has led many matches and Calgary has been behind, so it affects, but it at least indicates that Canucks might be running a bit too good and Flames a bit too bad. Unlike Canucks, Flames lack those clinical top players that Canucks have plenty of. Skilled players like Elias Pettersson or Brock Boeser usually deliver above expected underlying numbers for a reason, they are simply incredibly good at capitalizing on chances. That said, I still think Flames get undeservedly much flak at times. However, they would benefit from a forward stepping up and taking on the mantle that Jonathan Huberdeau is unable to carry.

Betting Tips and Conclusion

It's hard to be as optimistic about Calgary Flames as Vancouver Canucks for obvious reasons. It's also very tough to play against teams that just seem to win and win. Sometimes, however, you have to draw a line in the sand and say "this far and no further". Vancouver did play a match as recently as last night against New York Islanders, a match that went to overtime. Today they have to travel to Calgary and prepare for a new fight. Thatcher Demko, who was in goal yesterday, will likely be rotated out for the backup goaltender Casey DeSmith, a downgrade of course. Had the match been played at the start of the season, Flames would have been big favorites under these conditions, but now, thanks to Canucks' fine form, the odds are more or less even. I find that hard to buy. I have massive respect for Vancouver, but when everything points in that direction, the value (not always) often tends to be the other way. Add to that Calgary has looked better lately, has more rest, and is playing at home. I know where my money is going for betting.

Calgary Flames +0 @ 1.925 with bet365