Will the Flames stay on the gas in Game 2?
Who hasn’t yet, who wants to again? The duels in the Battle of Alberta are slowly turning into shootouts of a very special kind. 9:5 was the result in the last duel of the regular season, 9:6 now in the first duel of playoff round 2.
However, the games have one thing in common: the Flames have their noses in front in the end. This is partly due to their newly won offence this season and partly due to the better goalie Jacob Markstrom.
The two goals by Zach Hyman and the three points by Leon Draisaitl didn’t help in the end. Draisaitl was also the one who initiated the decisive 8:6 with an unnecessary mispass. All in all, Calgary’s success was more than deserved.
For Flames vs. Oilers, our prediction for Game 2 is another win for the home team, which has now triumphed in the last six Battles of Alberta, and each time by at least a two-goal difference.
Calgary Flames – Statistics & Current Form
Nine goals scored. That’s quite an accomplishment for the Flames, scoring as many goals in one game against the Oilers as they did in five games in the first round against Dallas. The Flames attackers must have felt like they were in a land of milk and honey.
The entire series against Edmonton will also be more about the offence, but that doesn’t matter to the Flames this season. That’s when they can match up against the top teams for the first time in years – and then throw their top defence into the fray.
Calgary with better order than Edmonton
What stands out most is their defensive stability in keeping the opponent away from their own zone. They only allowed 28 shots in Game 1 of the second round. That six of them went in was due to a rather mediocre day from goalie Markstrom.
But the fact that they were still victorious in the end should worry the entire competition in the NLH. When the best or second-best team defensively scores nine goals up front, all the other teams have to be on their guard.
Tkachuk is becoming a superstar right now
While Matthew Tkachuk has been one of the emerging players for a few years now, scoring 42 goals and a total of 104 scoring points again in the Regular Season 21/22, he is morphing into one of the league’s top stars in these playoffs.
He is also pulling along other players like Elias Lindholm or Andrew Mangapiane, who actually belong to the second line. With Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames have two superstars in their ranks, which is enormously important for a Stanley Cup success, as the last few years have proven.
There were always at least two exceptional players who carried a team (e.g. Crosby, Malkin or Kucherov, Stamkos). With this power + defence, the odds on the Flames for Calgary vs Edmonton are also preferable for Game 2, possibly even with a slight handicap.
Key Players:
G: Jacob Marktstrom
D: Noah Hanifin
D: Rasmus Andersson
LW: Johnny Gaudreau
C: Elias Lindholm
RW: Matthew Tkachuk
Edmonton Oilers – Statistics & current form
I wish the Oilers had a top goalie. You can read statements like this on the social media pages of the Canadians and in the end, the fans are right. Even though Mike Smith has already delivered two shutouts in the playoffs, consistency is a foreign word for him.
In Game 1 against Calgary on Wednesday, it took him all of 6:05 minutes to get three goals off the ice and bring in backup Mikko Koskinen. But the Flames then proved that he wasn’t the answer either with another six goals.
Defensively clearly behind Calgary
This also showed once again what Edmonton still lacks to hit the big time: defence and goaltending. As good as the addition of Evander Kane was during the season, the front office probably would have done better to find a defenseman or goalie.
Now they just have to fix it with the personnel they have, which is going to be immensely difficult. The question of who will be between the posts on Friday alone could become a problem. However, we are counting on Mike Smith once again, who will have to forget that dismantling in Game 1.
Oilers allow too many shots
Their defensive fragility is also evident in the shots allowed. 48 were allowed in Game 1, and over the entire playoffs that number is also a whopping 38.6 (the fourth most of any team). The Flames, by comparison, allow the second fewest shots in the postseason at 27.9.
That’s over ten more shots on average that Edmonton’s opponents have, so there’s a good chance more of those will slip through as well. So for Flames vs. Oilers, a tip against Edmonton is clearly to be favoured.
Key Players:
G: Mike Smith
D: Darnell Nurse
D: Cody Ceci
LW: Evander Kane
C: Connor McDavid
RW: Kailer Yamamoto
Calgary Flames – Edmonton Oilers Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
The first duel in a playoff series since 1991 was a true spectacle. The Oilers came back from 2:6 down, only to lose 6:9 in the end. Will the second duel be as high-scoring again?
We don’t expect 15 goals again, but as the past duels show, this matchup has often been a little higher scoring than average. In the last five duels, an outstanding 9.6 total goals have been scored on average.
For Calgary vs. Edmonton, a bet on over-points is therefore once again a nice alternative for all those who do not want to bet against Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. But Game 1 showed impressively that the two of them can’t do it on their own.
Calgary Flames – Edmonton Oilers Tip
It happened in Game 1 just as we predicted. And since we like the saying “never change a winning formula”, we’re going with the Flames and with over points in Game 2 as well. Especially since both options are also very likely.
For Calgary vs. Edmonton, the odds are still absolutely bettable on pure win bets. For bets on over-points we would have to go up to over 6.5 goals, which is also still within the acceptable range.
As a betting alternative, we recommend betting on a goal by Matthew Tkachuk this time. In Game 1 he scored three times and since his line around Gaudrau and Lindholm is in top form, a Tkachuk goal is in the air again for Game 2.
