Avalanche vs. Flames Prediction
The Calgary Flames need a win at home over the Colorado Avalanche in tonight’s Game 5 in order to avoid elimination. Can Calgary prevail as the favorites?
Game Snapshot
65 Colorado Avalanche at 66 Calgary Flames
Friday, April 19, 2019
Scotiabank Saddledome at 10:08PM ET
TV: NBCSN
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, the Flames are a -170 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Avalanche are a +150 underdog, while the total is set at 6 goals. As of Friday afternoon, 51 percent of public bets are siding with visiting Colorado. Check out our NHL Public Betting Page for up-to-date information.
Rantanen wins it in OT
Colorado earned a 3-2 overtime victory at home Wednesday night over Calgary to go up 3-1 in the series. Mikko Rantanen scored the game-winner at the 9:37 mark of overtime to clinch the victory off assists from Carl Soderberg and Gabriel Landeskog. Following a scoreless first period, the Flames scored the lone goal in the second period and scored again in the third period to go ahead 2-0. The Avalanche got one goal back with 11:50 remaining on a J.T. Compher goal on assists from Matt Calvert and Matt Nieto. Rantanen tied it up on the power play with 2:50 left on assists courtesy of Nathan McKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Philipp Grubauer picked up the victory in net as he accounted for 35 saves on 37 shots.
Flames stunned in Game 4
The Western Conference-best Calgary Flames fell 3-2 in overtime Wednesday night at Colorado and now stare at three must-win games in a row beginning tonight. Following a scoreless first period, Elias Lindholm gave Calgary a 1-0 advantage on the power play at the 16:35 mark of the second period on an assist by Mark Giordano. Derek Ryan extended it to 2-0 with 13:02 left in regulation off assists by Juuso Valimaki and Matthew Tkachuk. The Avalanche proceeded to score two goals the rest of the way followed by the winner in OT. Mike Smith allowed three goals on 52 shots in the defeat.
NHL Betting Trends
Colorado
The Avalanche are 9-1 in their last 10 games played on one day of rest. Colorado is 11-4 in its last 15 games overall.
Calgary
The Flames are 9-4 in the last 13 meetings. The home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
Prediction:
Few people predicted this is how the series would play out, but in the NHL world of parity you saw it with an all-time great regular season team in the Tampa Bay Lightning getting swept out of the playoffs. I still see plenty of fight in Calgary and as long as it keeps Smith getting peppered by so many shots, it should carve out a win tonight to keep its hopes alive. I’m siding with the favorites here.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: CALGARY FLAMES -170