The first “Battle of Alberta” NHL playoff game in three decades between Edmonton and Calgary in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals was one of the wildest postseason games ever with 15 goals scored. What to expect in Game 2 on Friday? The Flames are heavy home favorites on the NHL odds.
How to Bet Oilers at Flames NHL Hockey Odds & TV Info
Why Bet on Edmonton?
If you had told an Edmonton backer that the Oilers would have scored six goals in Game 1, said bettor probably would have dropped his/her life savings on a victory. Alas, the Oilers lost 9-6. It was the highest-scoring Battle of Alberta playoff game ever in 31 meetings. The record was 12 goals, when the Oilers pasted the Flames 10-2 in 1983.
“We scored six goals and found a way to lose,” said Oiler coach Jay Woodcroft, whose club’s team defense was a rumor, with bad plays, soft plays or no plays at all. “We scored six even-strength goals on them and that should be enough to win a game. Like I said, six goals against the Calgary Flames in their building, that should be enough.”
Connor McDavid amassed four points on one goal and three assists. McDavid has posted a multi-point performance in seven of his eight outings this postseason, including four straight. Only three players in Oilers history have recorded a longer run in the playoffs: Wayne Gretzky (8 GP in 1983, 5 GP in 1988 & 5 GP in 1984), Jari Kurri (5 GP in 1988) and Glenn Anderson (5 GP in 1985). McDavid helped the Oilers rally back from a 6-2 deficit, but the Flames managed to regain the lead in the third. McDavid has five goals and 18 points in eight matches during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
McDavid is the sixth Oilers player in the past 30 years to record 18 or more points in a single postseason, joining Joe Murphy in 1992, Chris Pronger in 2006, Shawn Horcoff in 2006, Bernie Nicholls in 1992 and Fernando Pisani in 2006. Only four other players in NHL history have notched as many multi-point outings through their first eight contests of a postseason: Glenn Anderson, Denis Savard, Tony Currie and Darryl Sittler.
Fellow star Leon Draisaitl generated one goal and two assists in the loss. Draisaitl accounted for one goal and helper during Edmonton’s comeback attempt in the second period. He also assisted on Kailer Yamamoto’s game-tying goal early in the third. Zach Hyman scored two goals. It was Hyman’s second multi-goal game of the 2022 playoffs and he has four goals and six points in eight postseason contests.
Mike Smith permitted three goals on 10 shots and was pulled after just 6:05 of ice time. The Flames scored two goals on him in the opening minute of the contest. Mikko Koskinen made 32 saves on 37 shots in relief to pick up the loss. Smith is expected to start Game 2.
Why Bet on Calgary?
The 15 combined goals in Game 1 were for the most goals in a playoff game since Game 6 of the 1993 Division Semifinals between the Kings and Flames. The Flames scored three goals in the opening 6:05 of Wednesday’s game, including two in the first 51 seconds, but Connor McDavid helped the Oilers rally from a four-goal deficit to tie the game early in the third period before the Flames sealed a Game 1 win with a Matthew Tkachuk hat trick.
Although Tkachuk got a hat trick in the Flames’ 9-6 win, he wasn’t happy with his team’s performance: “Not good, not good at all. That’s probably our worst game of the playoffs so far. We got super lucky. That’s just not the recipe for success. Maybe we win this one, but we’re not going to win many more if we’re going to play like that.”
Tkachuk became the sixth different player in franchise history to score a playoff hat trick and first since Theo Fleury in Game 4 of the 1995 Conference Quarterfinals. Only one other Flames player has scored a playoff hat trick against the Oilers: Paul Reinhart in 1983.
Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane each scored in the opening 51 seconds of the first period, marking the fastest two tallies from the start of a playoff game in NHL history (single team or combined) – the previous best was 52 seconds. Blake Coleman recorded his second career multi-goal playoff game.
Johnny Gaudreau registered three assists. Gaudreau is on a six-game point streak and has two goals and 11 points in eight playoff contests. He is the first Flames player to record a postseason point streak of six or more games since Jarome Iginla and Martin Gelinas in 2004.
Jacob Markstrom defended 22 of 28 shots in the win. Markstrom was not at his best in this one, as the Flames squandered 5-1 and 6-2 leads before pulling back ahead in the third period. He posted a 1.53 goals-against average and .943 save percentage in the first round.
Defenseman Chris Tanev took part in Thursday’s optional practice. Tanev has been absent for the past two games due to an undisclosed injury.
Game Trends
- Oilers are 16-6 in their last 22 vs. Western Conference.
- Oilers are 17-7 in their last 24 overall.
- Oilers are 7-3 in their last 10 road games.
- Oilers are 2-7 in their last 9 games as a road underdog.
- Flames are 35-16 in their last 51 games as a favorite.
- Flames are 2-7 in their last 9 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Home team is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.
Expert Prediction
- Flames 4, Oilers 3
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