Calgary Flames will meet the Dallas Stars to close Wednesday’s action of the NHL playoffs. The home side wants to build up on its latest performance and book the second straight win. The visitors look forward to bouncing back after losing on the home ice in the most recent encounter.
Calgary was excellent in Game 4, and they managed to level the tie and grab the home-ice advantage back. The hosts want to replicate the latest performance to get one step away from the next round. On the other hand, Dallas failed to defend the home ice since they lost in the latest match. Nevertheless, it has been a tight series, and the away side wants to snatch a good result on the road.
Calgary Flames – Will they pick up where they left off?
The Flames produced their best performance so far in the series in Game 4, managing to equalize before moving it to the home ice. They celebrated a 4-1 win on Monday evening and controlled the game through its entire course. After a quiet first third, Calgary managed to build a 3-0 advantage five minutes from time. At that point, it was clear that the series would be extended for the two more matches, at least. The Flames were on fire in the offense, hitting 54 shots toward the opponent’s goal. They also won eight faceoffs more than their rivals, and it was a complete performance from Calgary.
Johnny Gaudreau leads the Flames in the offense with four points, topping the assists charts with three. Matthew Tkachuk has also produced three assists, while Elias Lindholm is the team’s top scorer with three goals. Trevor Lewis has contributed to Calgary’s offense with two pts, while two more skaters got their names displayed on the scoresheet. On the goal, Jacob Markstrom has been excellent with a .952 save percentage, allowing only 1.27 goals per game.
Expected Line-Up: Jacob Markstrom, Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau
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Dallas Stars – Can they get the advantage back?
The Stars had the chance to grab a 3-1 lead in this tie, but they failed to capitalize on it. Dallas was inferior in the previous match, and they were not competitive enough. It resulted in a 4-1 defeat, where they allowed the opponents to fire 54 shots to their goal. On the other hand, Dallas had 35 attempts, but they found the back of the net only once. The Stars need to improve their performance in Game 5 to hold Calgary’s explosive offense and increase their chances of securing a positive result.
Joe Pavelski has been the Stars’ most efficient player in the post-season, scoring a team-high three goals and having a total of four points. Jani Hakanpaa and Miro Heiskanen top the assists charts with two apiece, while Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz have contributed to Dallas’s offense with two points each. On the goal, Jake Oettinger has also been very good between the pipes, having an excellent .960 save percentage and conceding 1.53 goals per contest.
Expected Line-Up: Jake Oettinger, Ryan Suter, Esa Lindell, Joe Pavelski, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin
Expert Pick #1 – Calgary Flames -1.5 @+120
The Flames were brilliant in the previous game, and I expect them to build up on that performance. They should become dominant in this series, and Calgary should celebrate a convincing win. Therefore, I will dip into the puck line market for the best value for my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 5.5 @-130
Another game stayed under the margin, and I don’t think things will change this time. Despite Calgary’s excellent offensive performance last time, we didn’t see more than five goals in Game 4. Give me the Under as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Dallas Stars Under 2.5 @-160
Dallas will be focused on its defense again, and I don’t see them producing much in the final third. Therefore, the rivals should hold them under a 2.5 margin and make things harder for them. Although the odds are lower than in the first two picks, I’ll take this one as the second alternative.
