Thursday NHL: Vancouver Go For a Crucial Win over Calgary Game 5

Courtesy of their 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, the Calgary Flames (48-31-7) lead their series 3-1 and simply need to one more win to advance to the second round of the NHL Playoffs for the first time in over 10 years. All that could be made possible if the Flames can scorch out the Canucks (49-32-5) on Thursday Night in Game 5 of their best-of-seven Western Conference quarter-final. Here is a preview of this all-important NHL betting thriller that comes with very high stakes for both teams whose respective postseason fates will be hugely determined by the outcome of Thursday’s matchup:

Flames vs. Canucks Game 5 NHL Playoff Betting Preview and Analysis

Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia Date: Thursday, April 23, 2015 Time: 10:00 PM ET TV: CNBC Series Standing: Flames lead series 3-1 Entering this matchup, the Canucks have opened the NHL lines as the betting favorite to win Thursday’s game, but the up-swinging momentum is with the Flames, who come into this clash with two straight wins over Vancouver in their series. In the last game, a 3-1 win by Calgary, the Flames benefitted from a strong start with three first-period goals, before the defense (led by Jonas Hiller’s 28 saves, including a massive 15 saves in the third period) took care of things to preserve the lead. As far as the goals were concerned, Jiri Hudler, Johnny Gaudreau and Sam Bennett each found the back of the net for the Flames, while Dennis Wideman posted a pair of assists. For the Canucks, Henrik Sedin was their lone scorer, with the majority of work being done by their defense in the second and third periods, where they were able to keep the Flames scoreless, in spite of being outshot by Calgary. Most notably, the 3 goals scored in the first period were allowed by Eddie Lack (who made just 4 saves), but when Ryan Miller came in between the pipes, he stopped all the 15 shots sent to him. After his great stint as a goalie on Tuesday, Miller could get to start Thursday’s game, which could be the needed change for the Canucks, considering the Flames’ offense has been shooting hot recently and Vancouver will need the safest pair of hands (and legs) in between the pipes.

Key Online Betting Trends

• Calgary is 3-3 in its last 6 road games • Vancouver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 home games • Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games against Vancouver • Vancouver is 9-2 SU in its last 11 home games against Calgary • The OVER/UNDER is 3-6-1 in Calgary’s last 10 games • The OVER/UNDER is 4-5-1 in Vancouver’s last 10 games • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary’s last 6 road games against Vancouver

Writer’s Prediction

The Canucks play their hearts out to hold off the Flames, extending the series by taking it to a 3-2 record. The game total most likely stays UNDER in a low-scoring duel.