by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Nov 29, 2022
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Where to watch: SN1, SNW, TVAS2, BSFL
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Flames -145, Panthers +125
FanDuel: Flames -154, Panthers +128
BetMGM: Flames -143, Panthers +120
Caesars: Flames -140, Panthers +118
Season record
Panthers: 10-8-4
Flames: 9-9-3
What an electric start to the NHL season. So much parity, so many good teams through the first 10-plus games, you have every right to be excited! Of course the Vegas Golden Knights and Boston Bruins (and the New Jersey Devils?) are heading the fun charge here as the top two teams in the league, because of course they are. But never count out the Avalanche, you know they're always going to be hanging around and will be eating worlds once they get everyone healthy. But this is a good time to be playing these hockey games, as well. Look no further than our own Doc's Sports on a 14-7-0 run over the first 30 days of the NHL season. There's also ASA, Inc. posting a 12-5-1 mark through the first month. You know you can trust our champion handicappers to get you across the finish line with your NHL bets. Check out our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what we're throwing down!
Panthers - Flames preview, prediction and analysis
Recent results
Panthers: lost 4-3 (OT) at Oilers on Monday
Flames: lost 3 straight; lost 3-2 at Hurricanes on Saturday
Jonathan Huberdeau got his return to Florida, as did Mackenzie Weegar. So how do we feel about Matthew Tkachuk now possibly going back to Calgary for the first time and being the villain? Because I guarantee you this. When the Florida Panthers meet with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, I have a hard time thinking Canadian fans are not going to let this dwindle in their minds. You're talking about a guy who basically wanted out because management was too dumb to pay him what he's worth. You were too busy about trying to figure out how to work the cap space, and most NHL markets in Canada will go a long period of time before they finally forgive the superstars that left them.
Jonathan Huberdeau got his return to Florida, as did Mackenzie Weegar. So how do we feel about Matthew Tkachuk now possibly going back to Calgary for the first time and being the villain? Because I guarantee you this. When the Florida Panthers meet with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, I have a hard time thinking Canadian fans are not going to let this dwindle in their minds. You're talking about a guy who basically wanted out because management was too dumb to pay him what he's worth. You were too busy about trying to figure out how to work the cap space, and most NHL markets in Canada will go a long period of time before they finally forgive the superstars that left them.
In the case of the trade between two of the best offensive forwards in the game, I am left reminded of the fact that Florida is just still finding ways to produce even with victories being slightly hard to come by as it pertains to the Panthers. Florida is coming off the first game of a back-to-back that it played on Monday in a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. I mean, what are you gonna do about that? Tkachuk Find a way to score a goal and Florida gave goaltender Spencer Knight every advantage of possibly could just to ensure that it got out safely and needed to get a victory. turns out that didn't happen.
So where are things going South right now for Florida? It's not that they're not banking in points. The Panthers have lost three games in overtime in the last 10 putting together out of a possible 20 points they have 11. Normally that would just be considered a passing grade and we can forget it with one. But Florida is not getting the kind of production that it should be getting from its top players. And I'm not talking about numbers-wise. Tkachuk Is still leading the way in scoring, and Sasha Barkov is absolutely out of his mind when he's able to. He's 100% dealing with a tough illness that will force him to miss these games, but don't you question the captain of this team.
But at least in the realm of what's going on with the Panthers, Calgary has not been any better period Calgary just has found ways to lose games left and right and not have them make any importance whatsoever. Case in point the flames just wrapped up a six-game road trip in which they ended up going 2-3-1. It’s just not good enough given how Calgary was able to bounce back and win these games. The fact that they're not right now even with the addition of Nazem Kadri from Colorado doesn't make sense for how lousy they're playing right now.
Calgary is coming off a 3-2 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes the other night and if that's not a microcosm after being shut out by the Washington Capitals and their previous game, I'm not really sure what to think about with this club. They obviously have a strong desire for wanting to prove people wrong and I completely understand that, but at the end of the day, Calgary should be 10 times better this season than it is and the fact that they're not really concerned me.
Prediction
The last time these two teams met it was an absolute barnburner that went into overtime and Calgary eventually won. Would it shock me if Florida came back and won this game based on its own merit and its own respectability? Not really. But the fact that Florida is coming off the second night of a back-to-back having played in Florida already, I don't think it's going to happen twice. Flames win 4-3
Betting trends
Panthers are 16-3 after losing 4 or 5 of their last six the last 3 seasons.
Panthers are 102-108 on the road after losing 5 or 6 of their last 7 since 1996.
Flames are 4-11 off a one-goal loss on the road the last 3 seasons.
Projected lines
Panthers:
Nick Cousins -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk
Carter Verhaeghe -- Anton Lundell -- Sam Reinhart
Aleksi Heponiemi -- Eetu Luostarinen -- Colin White
Ryan Lomberg -- Eric Staal -- Patric Hornqvist
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Marc Staal -- Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura -- Radko Gudas
Sergei Bobrovsky
Nick Cousins -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk
Carter Verhaeghe -- Anton Lundell -- Sam Reinhart
Aleksi Heponiemi -- Eetu Luostarinen -- Colin White
Ryan Lomberg -- Eric Staal -- Patric Hornqvist
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Marc Staal -- Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura -- Radko Gudas
Sergei Bobrovsky
Flames:
Adam Ruzicka -- Elias Lindholm -- Tyler Toffoli
Dillon Dube -- Nazem Kadri -- Andrew Mangiapane
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Mikael Backlund -- Blake Coleman
Milan Lucic -- Trevor Lewis -- Brett Ritchie
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
Nikita Zadorov -- MacKenzie Weegar
Dennis Gilbert -- Chris Tanev
Jacob Markstrom
Adam Ruzicka -- Elias Lindholm -- Tyler Toffoli
Dillon Dube -- Nazem Kadri -- Andrew Mangiapane
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Mikael Backlund -- Blake Coleman
Milan Lucic -- Trevor Lewis -- Brett Ritchie
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
Nikita Zadorov -- MacKenzie Weegar
Dennis Gilbert -- Chris Tanev
Jacob Markstrom
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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.
