Tip: Florida Panthers visit the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome!

Like many others, I clearly remember the high-profile trade in 2022 when Matthew Tkachuk moved to the Florida Panthers and the Calgary Flames acquired Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Since then, Florida has reaped fine successes, including a Stanley Cup final as recent as last season. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames have had a tougher time. After a series of tough losses, the Canadians broke the trend with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, they face an even tougher task as the Florida Panthers visit.

Markstrom and Tanev Back

Calgary Flames' starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom is back after recovering from his injury. A fractured finger kept Markstrom out of play, but he is expected to return and be ready to guard the goal again in tonight's match against the Florida Panthers. So far, he's had a relatively good season with positive underlying figures. For those who have seen the matches he has played this season, I think he reminds a lot more of the version of Markström we saw in 2021/22 when he was one of the league's most stable goalkeepers. In other words, it's very positive for the Flames to have him back. It also looks like the very important defensive defenseman Chris Tanev will be available to play. Tanev suffered an upper-body injury in the game against the Colorado Avalanche three rounds ago. Getting him back is also important as his defensive impact on the team is significant. Few players are as self-sacrificing in defensive work as Tanev.

Florida made a fine effort against the Edmonton Oilers last round, winning with a stable 5-1, a reversal after two straight losses before. They managed to win despite absences in the squad. Both Aaron Ekblad and Anton Lundell were missing due to illness; their status for the match against Calgary is unclear, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are available for play.

Is Calgary Good Enough for the Playoffs?

The simple answer is yes. I consider Calgary a team more than capable of making the playoffs, but it's high time to start winning more games. At first glance, the form table is not flattering. In the last eight matches, they have only won two. But looking closer at the matches individually, Calgary has had an incredibly tough schedule. Minnesota Wild (x2), Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Virtually only top teams in the NHL. Without going into too much detail on individual matches, the Flames have played well in almost all matches but have fallen short with narrow losses in many games or not lasted in overtime.

A look at the underlying figures shows that the Calgary Flames are a team doing a lot right. In 5-on-5 play, they are a top 10 team according to xGF%. We shouldn't blindly rely on such statistics as there are many layers of things to consider, but I think at least it points in the same direction as my own assessment of Calgary; they are good, but perhaps not good enough all the time. One problem has been the lack of clinical finishers, like Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau were a few seasons ago. To the Flames' credit, however, they have got good order on the lines which feel well balanced, and the game looks much better compared to earlier in the season.

Betting Tips and Conclusion

I haven't written much about the Florida Panthers, a team I see as Stanley Cup contenders this season. But they have begun to be valued more and more correctly by the market, while the Calgary Flames are still somewhat undervalued. It's also written in social media and Florida newspapers that they expect to see Antony Stolarz in goal for Panthers tonight; we'll see if that's true. Calgary had a nice break from the trend last time when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, and I hope they can continue that momentum and crown the tough schedule of the last rounds with a victory before some easier matches await.

Calgary Flames DNB (draw no bet) is played at +114 with Unibet!