After a 7-11-1 start to the 2016-17 NHL season - the Stampede City was restless. That was due to the local media and Flames Nation fans jumping off the Calgary playoff bandwagon. A 5-7-1 slide in January made the wagon even lighter. It is all hands on deck again though as the Flames have been running red hot during a ten-game winning streak. Calgary will set a franchise record with a win over Boston on March 15, 2017. Looking to add to first their NHL Championship claimed 1985, the Calgary Flames outright NHL winner odds are falling faster than the Bow Falls in Banff.
All of that recent winning has pushed the Flames into second place in the Pacific Division and their Cup winning price has fallen from +2800 to +2000 since we looked at the Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup chances on March 11. Rock solid goaltending, the Flames snipers playing like snipers, their young guns firing on all cylinders, plus solid team unity, have helped fuel the Flames. Calgary won’t claim the Western Conference top spot and the Pacific also seems out of reach as San Jose has a nine point lead there. That said, the Flames second playoff berth in three years is imminent.
Nailing down second will require holding off archrival Edmonton and Anaheim who are a point back and tied for third through 69 games played. Los Angeles is also in the NHL playoff chase as the Kings are four points behind St. Louis for the final Wild Card spot and the Blues have one game in hand. That’s important because the Kings need to bring it every night and they face the Flames twice before the season ends. Calgary also has two games against the Ducks and Sharks plus single matches versus the Capitals, Predators and Blues left on a very tough season ending dance card.
My Team's Next MatchCalgary Flames
StatsGuru Scenario: Calgary was considered a Cinderella squad during their run to the Western Conference Semifinals two years ago. An experienced Ducks crew ended that fairy tale as Anaheim had a 17-9 scoring edge and doused the Flames 4-1 in that series. The 2016-17 Flames are playing very confident hockey and a Quarterfinal Battle of Alberta is certainly possible. Since ten will get us 200, with a money line futures wager, we'll ride the Sea of Red wave as a longshot with a chance to claim the 2017 Stanley Cup Championship.
Calgary Flames Odds to Make the Playoffs
Edmonton or Anaheim need to win one more game than Calgary over the final 13 matches to earn the second seed in the West. The Ducks slate is lighter than Calgary's (11 contenders) as nine of their games are quality contests. The Connor McDavid led Oilers have the slickest schedule as they play three against lowly Vancouver and two vs Colorado who were the first team eliminated from the race. Eight of the Oilers 13 matchups are against teams fighting for overall playoff positioning.
Poised to fire their way into hockey's second season, the Flames clinch at least the final Wild Card position with nine more wins – no matter what any other team does. Five Calgary wins, coupled with four Kings losses, will also get Calgary to the dance. Do you have an opinion on the Flames playoff and Stanley Cup futures chances? Leave us a message in our Facebook comment section as fans from all NHL Nations are encouraged to comment on their favorites to claim Lord Stanley's Mug. Canadians looking for a safe and exciting puck betting experience need not look any further than the CSB recommended sportsbooksin the table below as they are all NHL odds specialists.
While the 2021 NHL entry draft isn't viewed as being as deep as the 2020 class, as with Alexis Lafreniere last season, there appears to be a consensus No. 1 - Michigan's Owen Power. The Wolverines freshman defenceman didn't look out of place playing with the men at the IIHF world championship, winning a gold medal skating for Canada, playing in the top defensive pairing. Power is almost certainly going to the Buffalo Sabres.
Canadian hockey fans have it made. There is no shortage of ways on how to watch the NHL. Whether it's TV stations or online streams, fans can tune in using their phones, tablets, or kick it old school by watching on television. Gone are the days where you had to go to one room and wait for one time to watch the NHL. Here are the many ways to watch the NHL in Canada.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are one win away from capturing their second straight Stanley Cup title. They lead the best-of-seven Cup final series against the Montreal Canadiens by a 3-0 count. In the Cup final for the first time in 28 years, Montreal has lost nine of 33 previous Stanley Cup final series. However, the Canadiens have only ever been swept in a final series one time in their history.
The Stanley Cup has gone through some unique firsts during the past two NHL seasons thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year's Cup final series didn't end until September. This year, with the launch of the regular season delayed until January, the Cup final series is stretching into July. One facet that hasn't changed, though, is that no matter when wagers are placed on the games, the bettors want to be certain that they are placing those wagers with the best betting sites for the Stanley Cup Finals.
