by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Where to watch: ESPN, SNW, SN1, TVAS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Golden Knights -150, Flames +125
FanDuel: Golden Knights -150, Flames +125
BetMGM: Golden Knights -150, Flames +125
Caesars: Golden Knights -150, Flames +125
Season record
Flames: 27-20-11
Golden Knights: 34-18-5
The All-Star break is over, the second half of the NHL season can officially begin, and we're bound for what should be a very exciting second half of the hockey season. Basketball and hockey are about to rule the roost in the sports betting world once the Super Bowl is done with, and we should all be very excited for what's to come. When the trade deadline hits and players switch teams, you know things are about to get hectic over these final 30 games or so. One way you can stay tuned with the action is following what our champion handicappers are doing in the world of the NHL. Look at ASA, Inc., reeling in a $6,750 profit off a 17-9-0 run. Al McMordie is also doing well on the ice with a 13-5-0 run and a net profit of $6,050. Scott Rickenbach has also been hanging strong with a lot of betting action, in what's been an unusual year, with a 24-18-0 run and reeling in $5,950. You know this action is going to be great now that games are back and a busy second half if on the horizon. All you need to do is head to our BEST BETS page at bigal.com to find out all of what we're trying to tell you. Make sure you're locked in at bigal.com and go to our Best Bets page to find out what our champion handicappers have to say in the world of the NHL!
Flames - Golden Knights preview, prediction and analysis
The Calgary Flames will be playing the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, February 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Calgary Flames won against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, February 22 at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona with a score of 6-3. The Calgary Flames currently rank 5th in the Pacific Division.
Elias Lindholm had a goal and an assist to reach 500 NHL points, and Dan Vladar made 11 saves for the Flames (27-20-11), who trailed 3-1 in the second period before scoring five straight goals.
"We were talking before [the third period] and saying our season is on the line and we need to get very important points," Lindholm said. "We played a solid game and stuck with it and got that result."
Calgary had a season-high 51 shots and held Arizona to a season-low 14.
Milan Lucic's first goal in 16 games (Jan. 10) gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 4:39 of the first period. Duehr's assist was his first in the NHL.
Clayton Keller's cross-ice pass set up Schmaltz's power-play goal at 1:11 to tie it 1-1. Keller was credited with the goal that made it 2-1 at 9:31 when Flames defenseman Chris Tanev deflected the puck into his own net.
Arizona scored another goal before Lindholm started the comeback, scoring on the power play to cut it to 3-2 at 12:58 of the second period.
"Even when we were down 3-1, and there's some nerves going on there, we knew sooner or later they're going to go in, with a lot of chances and a lot of shots," Lindholm said.
Tyler Toffoli tied it 3-3 at 14:00, with Lindholm getting an assist for his 500th point.
"Going into the League, you don't dream about certain numbers, you just want to play a couple games and ... time just flies," Lindholm said. "Obviously it's a number, but there's nothing more to it, really."
Jakob Pelletier went to the net to deflect Noah Hanifin's shot on a power play, putting the Flames up 4-3 at 4:53 of the third period. Walker Duehr, called up from Calgary of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, made it 5-3 at 5:17, 24 seconds after Pelletier, driving to the net and lifting a backhand inside the left post for his third NHL goal.
Pelletier played his 12th NHL game and Duehr played his 10th, and the two rookies made a major impact on what Pelletier called "a do or die game for us."
"We're just kind of trying to keep things simple and things are kind of working for us," Pelletier said. "If you want to win you have to score goals, right? For me as a newbie, I think our line, we've got to produce. … I think now is the time to step up and score goals."
Mikael Backlund scored a power-play goal at 16:41 for the 6-3 final, his third straight game with a goal. Calgary was 3-for-5 with the man-advantage, Arizona was 1-for-2.
The Calgary Flames have won four of their last 10 games.
The Vegas Golden Knights lost against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, February 21 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois with a score of 3-2 ending in a shootout. The Vegas Golden Knights currently rank 1st in the Pacific Division.
Jack Eichel and Keegan Kolesar scored for the Golden Knights (34-18-5), who had won five in a row. Laurent Brossoit, who was playing his first NHL game since March 15, 2022, made 37 saves.
"He was very good, he gave us a chance to win," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "The goals that beat him were good shots. He made some good saves when we broke down in front of him, especially early on, getting tested there.
"Guys were getting behind us. We didn't play a very respectful game at all. He was there for us when we broke down in basic system coverages. I liked his game."
Brossoit earned the start after Adin Hill sustained a minor injury in a 5-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
"I try not to have too many expectations," Brossoit said. "I just wanted to keep it simple, play my game. For the most part, I felt pretty good. A few jitters in the first period, but I think overall it was a net positive for how I felt. There are plenty of things I can sharpen up.
"It's a lot of touches, 39 shots. It's nice to see the puck that many times the first game back. Yeah, it did make things a little easier. It was huge. Having a lot of shot volume is big for the confidence, just getting used to the pace of play again. But at the end of the day, we didn't get the result we wanted, so I'm still looking to get better."
Kolesar gave Vegas a 1-0 lead at 3:26 of the first period. Nicolas Roy intercepted the puck from Kane in the left face-off circle and fed Kolesar in front for a one-timer.
"[Brossoit] stood on his head for us a few times," Kolesar said. "We had a lot of lows in our game, and he stood on his head for us. Given that outcome, it's pretty sad for us."
Cole Guttman tied it 1-1 at 12:39 with his second goal in as many games. He took a bank pass off the boards from Johnson in the neutral zone, moved in on Brossoit and scored five-hole on a breakaway. Eichel put the Golden Knights back in front 2-1 at 11:32 of the second period, scoring blocker side from the right circle on a 2-on-1.
Tyler Johnson tied it 2-2 with 55 seconds remaining in the third on a one-timer from the slot. Chicago, which was on the power play, pulled Petr Mrazek to create a 6-on-4 advantage. Johnson's goal came after Alex Pietrangelo was called for delay of game after he shot the puck over the glass.
"We did that the other night," Cassidy said. "That's on us a little bit, right? You've got to manage it a little better with time and score. Situational hockey. Maybe it's just more of a lower rim (around the boards). Veteran guys, you've just got to manage it better in those situations."
The Vegas Golden Knights have won five of their last 10 games.
Prediction
Golden Knights 5, Flames 2
The Calgary Flames won against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, February 22 at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona with a score of 6-3. The Calgary Flames currently rank 5th in the Pacific Division.
Elias Lindholm had a goal and an assist to reach 500 NHL points, and Dan Vladar made 11 saves for the Flames (27-20-11), who trailed 3-1 in the second period before scoring five straight goals.
"We were talking before [the third period] and saying our season is on the line and we need to get very important points," Lindholm said. "We played a solid game and stuck with it and got that result."
Calgary had a season-high 51 shots and held Arizona to a season-low 14.
Milan Lucic's first goal in 16 games (Jan. 10) gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 4:39 of the first period. Duehr's assist was his first in the NHL.
Clayton Keller's cross-ice pass set up Schmaltz's power-play goal at 1:11 to tie it 1-1. Keller was credited with the goal that made it 2-1 at 9:31 when Flames defenseman Chris Tanev deflected the puck into his own net.
Arizona scored another goal before Lindholm started the comeback, scoring on the power play to cut it to 3-2 at 12:58 of the second period.
"Even when we were down 3-1, and there's some nerves going on there, we knew sooner or later they're going to go in, with a lot of chances and a lot of shots," Lindholm said.
Tyler Toffoli tied it 3-3 at 14:00, with Lindholm getting an assist for his 500th point.
"Going into the League, you don't dream about certain numbers, you just want to play a couple games and ... time just flies," Lindholm said. "Obviously it's a number, but there's nothing more to it, really."
Jakob Pelletier went to the net to deflect Noah Hanifin's shot on a power play, putting the Flames up 4-3 at 4:53 of the third period. Walker Duehr, called up from Calgary of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, made it 5-3 at 5:17, 24 seconds after Pelletier, driving to the net and lifting a backhand inside the left post for his third NHL goal.
Pelletier played his 12th NHL game and Duehr played his 10th, and the two rookies made a major impact on what Pelletier called "a do or die game for us."
"We're just kind of trying to keep things simple and things are kind of working for us," Pelletier said. "If you want to win you have to score goals, right? For me as a newbie, I think our line, we've got to produce. … I think now is the time to step up and score goals."
Mikael Backlund scored a power-play goal at 16:41 for the 6-3 final, his third straight game with a goal. Calgary was 3-for-5 with the man-advantage, Arizona was 1-for-2.
The Calgary Flames have won four of their last 10 games.
The Vegas Golden Knights lost against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, February 21 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois with a score of 3-2 ending in a shootout. The Vegas Golden Knights currently rank 1st in the Pacific Division.
Jack Eichel and Keegan Kolesar scored for the Golden Knights (34-18-5), who had won five in a row. Laurent Brossoit, who was playing his first NHL game since March 15, 2022, made 37 saves.
"He was very good, he gave us a chance to win," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "The goals that beat him were good shots. He made some good saves when we broke down in front of him, especially early on, getting tested there.
"Guys were getting behind us. We didn't play a very respectful game at all. He was there for us when we broke down in basic system coverages. I liked his game."
Brossoit earned the start after Adin Hill sustained a minor injury in a 5-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
"I try not to have too many expectations," Brossoit said. "I just wanted to keep it simple, play my game. For the most part, I felt pretty good. A few jitters in the first period, but I think overall it was a net positive for how I felt. There are plenty of things I can sharpen up.
"It's a lot of touches, 39 shots. It's nice to see the puck that many times the first game back. Yeah, it did make things a little easier. It was huge. Having a lot of shot volume is big for the confidence, just getting used to the pace of play again. But at the end of the day, we didn't get the result we wanted, so I'm still looking to get better."
Kolesar gave Vegas a 1-0 lead at 3:26 of the first period. Nicolas Roy intercepted the puck from Kane in the left face-off circle and fed Kolesar in front for a one-timer.
"[Brossoit] stood on his head for us a few times," Kolesar said. "We had a lot of lows in our game, and he stood on his head for us. Given that outcome, it's pretty sad for us."
Cole Guttman tied it 1-1 at 12:39 with his second goal in as many games. He took a bank pass off the boards from Johnson in the neutral zone, moved in on Brossoit and scored five-hole on a breakaway. Eichel put the Golden Knights back in front 2-1 at 11:32 of the second period, scoring blocker side from the right circle on a 2-on-1.
Tyler Johnson tied it 2-2 with 55 seconds remaining in the third on a one-timer from the slot. Chicago, which was on the power play, pulled Petr Mrazek to create a 6-on-4 advantage. Johnson's goal came after Alex Pietrangelo was called for delay of game after he shot the puck over the glass.
"We did that the other night," Cassidy said. "That's on us a little bit, right? You've got to manage it a little better with time and score. Situational hockey. Maybe it's just more of a lower rim (around the boards). Veteran guys, you've just got to manage it better in those situations."
The Vegas Golden Knights have won five of their last 10 games.
Prediction
Golden Knights 5, Flames 2
Betting trends
Flames are 9-5 against division opponents this season.
Flames are 11-19 after 5 straight games with 30 shots or more on goal this season.
Golden Knights are 29-10 after revenging a road loss this season.
Golden Knights are 17-9 after a road game this season.
Projected lines
Flames:
Dillon Dube -- Elias Lindholm -- Tyler Toffoli
Jakob Pelletier -- Nazem Kadri -- Jonathan Huberdeau
Andrew Mangiapane -- Mikael Backlund -- Blake Coleman
Milan Lucic -- Trevor Lewis -- Walker Duehr
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
MacKenzie Weegar -- Chris Tanev
Nikita Zadorov -- Dennis Gilbert
Jacob Markstrom
Dillon Dube -- Elias Lindholm -- Tyler Toffoli
Jakob Pelletier -- Nazem Kadri -- Jonathan Huberdeau
Andrew Mangiapane -- Mikael Backlund -- Blake Coleman
Milan Lucic -- Trevor Lewis -- Walker Duehr
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
MacKenzie Weegar -- Chris Tanev
Nikita Zadorov -- Dennis Gilbert
Jacob Markstrom
Golden Knights:
Paul Cotter -- Jack Eichel -- Jonathan Marchessault
Reilly Smith -- William Karlsson -- Michael Amadio
William Carrier -- Chandler Stephenson -- Phil Kessel
Brett Howden -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud
Adin Hill
Paul Cotter -- Jack Eichel -- Jonathan Marchessault
Reilly Smith -- William Karlsson -- Michael Amadio
William Carrier -- Chandler Stephenson -- Phil Kessel
Brett Howden -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud
Adin Hill
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
