Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV.

When: Wednesday, March 6, 10:30PM EST

How (TV/Radio): SportsnetONE, ATTSN Rocky Mountain | KRLV, The FAN960

Calgary Flames (Away)

Head Coach: Bill Peters {All-Time 178-155-60 CAL, CAR}

Bill Peters has led his Calgary Flames into the first-place position in the Pacific division. Wednesday night they face division rivals the Vegas Golden Knights and the Flames bring in the offensive advantages. Calgary ranks fourth in the league for shooting percentage – where they have an 11.1 percent success rate that has translated into them also ranking fourth in the league in goals scored. They average 3.57 per game.

The Flames also rank third overall in the league in the faceoff circle, boasting a 52.1 percent success rate. They also allow fewer shots per game than their Vegas opponents.

Calgary will also still be riding the wave that was the jersey retirement of former captain Jarome Iginla over the weekend. They come into this game healthy roster that includes Norris trophy favorites, Hart trophy favorites, and Lady Byng hopefuls. The Calgary Flames are 41-17-7 at the time of writing.

Goaltender Mike Smith is expected to get the start against the Golden Knights. Smith is 19-12-2 on the season with a goal against average of 2.92 and a save percentage of.895 with two shutouts.

Las Vegas Golden Knights (Home)

Head Coach: Gerard Gallant {All-Time 239-190-4-43 VEG, FLA, CBJ}

Where Calgary has the advantage on the offensive end, as does Vegas have the upper hand on the defensive side of things. The back end starts in the crease with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who leads the league in both wins (32) and shutouts (8). The Knights enter this game on a four-game winning streak.

The Knights rank seventh overall for fewest goals against, allowing on average 2.75 or less. They are fifth when it comes to shots allowed, allowing only 29 or less on average. Vegas also comes into this game with a sixth overall penalty kill (81.8 percent) and ranking third for taking the least amount of penalty minutes per game: 7 minutes or less.

Marc-Andre Fleury is definitely expected to get the start against such a challenging team. Fleury is 32-19-5 this season. His goals-against average is 2.52 and his save percentage is .911. As mentioned earlier, he has an astonishing eight shutouts on the season.

The Golden Knights shutout the Calgary Flames in their last meeting back on November 23, 2018. The final score was 2-0.

What’s At Stake?

The Calgary Flames currently sit atop the entire Western Conference with 89 points through 65 games. This makes them second overall in the league behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning. A President’s Trophy win is unlikely but it’ll be fun to see them try. The Flames will make the playoffs without question but they are still a young, hungry team looking to win every game they can and prove themselves.

The Knights are more in need of these two points. They currently sit in third place in the Pacific division. Based on point totals, the Knights are closer to a wildcard spot than second place. Vegas needs to keep the pressure on as the season comes to a close and a win over Calgary will be a big momentum boost.

Questions to answer

Will the Calgary Flames find a way to get the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury and snap the Knights four-game winning streak?

Can the Vegas defense contain the Flames offense that contains threats such as Johnny Gaudreau, Curtis Lazar, Sean Monahan, and Matthew Tkachuk?

How will Vegas’ offense handle going up against Norris Trophy-favourite defenseman Mark Giordano?

Calgary Flames Injury Report

F James Neal – day-to-day (lower-body)

D Michael Stone – IR (blood clot)

Vegas Golden Knights Injury Report

F William Carrier – day-to-day (upper-body)

F Erik Haula – IR (undisclosed)

F David Clarkson – IR (back)

Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights Predictions and Odds

The Vegas Golden Knights are the betting underdogs (-100) against the Calgary Flames (+125).