Calgary Flames vs Seattle Kraken: Flames Look for Revenge Against Kraken

• The Calgary Flames are 3-1-1 in their last five games.

• The Seattle Kraken are 2-0-1 in their last three games.

• The Kraken beat the Flames 5-4 in their first meeting this season.

Minnesota Wild vs Seattle Kraken Odds

Odds Taken from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Calgary Flames vs Seattle Kraken Predictions and Picks

Seattle Kraken beat Calgary Flames 4-2

Seattle Kraken cover

Head-to-Head: Calgary Flames vs Seattle Kraken

Calgary Flames vs Seattle Kraken Predictions and Picks

The Calgary Flames will battle with the Seattle Kraken for the second time this season. These teams first faced each other on November 1, and the Golden Knights pulled out a 5-4 victory after being down 4-2. The Flames are out of the Playoff picture but could move into a spot with a win today. On the other side, the Kraken are in the third spot in the Pacific division but only have a one-point lead over the Flames.

The Flames team can make the Playoffs but do not have the most talented roster. Defensively, they are decent, but their offense and goaltending need a lot of improvement. Calgary does not have a bad roster, but they appear to be mediocre (at least at the moment).

The Flames’ offense is not elite but has some solid players in Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, and Nazem Kadri. Lindholm is the top player in this group. The 28-year-old leads the team in points (32) and assists (21). Toffoli is the leading goal-scorer on the Flames with 14 goals. Toffoli also has 14 assists and a +/- of seven. Kadri is a veteran of this group. The 32-year-old has 13 goals and 13 assists. Overall, the Flames’ offense is lacking, but these three can be their sparkplugs.
Jacob Markstrom is the starting netminder in Calgary. Markstrom has a veteran presence and has been excellent in the past but would be a backup on many other teams. The Swedish netminder allows 2.84 goals per game and has a save percentage of .894.

The Kraken have a slightly better squad than the Flames. Defensively, they lack a lot of competent defensemen (and their goaltending needs a lot of work), but offensively, they average over 3.5 goals per game and have a handful of goal-scorers.

The Kraken do not have any stars but have four solid goal-scorers in Andre Burakovsky, Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers, Jared McCann, and Daniel Sprong. Burakovsky has ten goals and leads the Kraken with 18 assists and 28 goals. Eberle is not a flashy player but has eight goals, 17 assists, and a +/- of seven. Eberles’ impact on the ice has not gone unnoticed in Seattle. Beniers is the sole center in this group and an efficient scorer. Beniers has 11 goals and converts on 17.5% of his shots. McCann is the premier goal-scorer on the Kraken. He leads the team with 16 goals and converts on over 25% of his shots. Finally, we come to Daniel Sprong. Sprong plays less than 11 minutes a game and has ten goals on 53 shots.

The Kraken have worse goaltenders than the Flames. Martin Jones is the #1 netminder but not playing like a top goalie. The 32-year-old allows an absurd 2.99 goals per game and has a .888 save percentage.

The Flames are playing back-to-back nights after facing the Edmonton Oilers and do not perform very well on the road, so I have to give the edge to the Kraken.

Why Might the Calgary Flames Win?

The Flames are the underdogs but will only win if they come out if they draw penalties and involve Elias Lindholm.

The Flames have a poor power play unit and only convert slightly over 19% of the time. That puts them in the bottom ten in the NHL. Calgary needs to flip the script today, draw penalties, and score at least once with a man advantage. 

Elias Lindholm is the most versatile player on the Flames. The center scores well and is a talented passer. Lindholm’s teammates must give him the puck and let him do his thing.

Why Might the Seattle Kraken Win?

The Kraken are the favorites but can improve their chances by coming out aggressively and scoring first.

The Kraken are coming into this game on five days of rest. Comparatively, the Flames played last night and will be put to the test. Since Seattle is well-rested, they need to take advantage of the Flames’ fatigue and come out aggressively. Calgary will not be able to catch up with them and make them play at their level.

The Kraken are playing at home and need to get the crowd on their side. The best way for them to do that is by scoring first. The crowd will be behind them for the rest of the game if they do.

Flames Key Players: (C) Nazem Kadri

Nazem Kadri is a talented player but has gone without a point in his last three games. This must change today. Kadri needs to finish the game with at least one assist or goal.

Kraken Key Player: (RW) Daniel Sprong

Daniel Sprong does not play much. The winger averages a TOI of 10:36. However, he does not waste much time on the ice. His last game is a perfect example of this. Sprong was on the ice for 10:19 and finished with two goals. He needs to bring that same level of competition to this game. If he does, Seattle will be in an excellent position.

How to Watch Calgary Flames vs Seattle Kraken

• What - Calgary Flames vs Seattle Kraken

• Where - Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington

• When - Wedndesday, December 28, 10:00 PM EST

• How to Watch - TNT