NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Flames vs. Senators (February 13)

Flames vs. Senators Odds

As they fight to stay in the mix for a Western Conference playoff spot, the Calgary Flames wrap up a four-game road trip at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Monday.

Coming off an impressive 7-2 win in Buffalo on Saturday, the Flames will be looking to log consecutive victories for the first time in more than three weeks. As for the Senators, they're likely headed for a sixth-straight season without a playoff appearance, and came back from their bye week with a 6-3 home loss to Edmonton on Saturday.

Here's the latest on both sides, and your best bet for the game.

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Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames had one of the most tumultuous offseasons in the NHL, but the arrivals of Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri haven't been enough to keep them near the top of the Pacific Division. The Flames are tied with the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild with 60 points, but because Calgary has more games played, they slot into ninth place in the Western Conference, just below the playoff bar.

Darryl Sutter has his team playing sound structural hockey. Calgary sits third overall and first in the Western Conference in expected goals share at 5-on-5 (54.40%). But as a team, the Flames are in the middle of the pack in both scoring and goals against. Seeing Jacob Markstrom's save percentage plummet from .922 last season to .892 this year is not helping matters, either.

Markstom and Daniel Vladar have been splitting duties lately and Markstrom got the win in Buffalo. That means Monday could be Vladar's turn. Vladar is tracking about the same as last season with a solid 11-5-4 record, despite -2.0 goals saved above expected.

The only noteworthy injury on the Calgary side is to top-pairing defenseman Rasmus Andersson. He was hit by a car while riding a scooter last Wednesday during the Flames' visit to Detroit. Andersson has been listed as day-to-day, but there's no indication as to whether he's close to a return.

Ottawa Senators

The headline news out of Ottawa on Saturday was the injury to goaltender Anton Forsberg. He was stretchered off the ice late in the loss to Edmonton and is reported to have MCL tears in both knees.

Cam Talbot has also been on the sidelines with a lower-body issue. That leaves a pair of 22-year-olds, Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese, tasked with holding down the fort.

Sogaard's NHL experience is limited to just three games, though he will get the start Monday after logging his first five minutes of this season at the end of Saturday's game. His AHL numbers this season are relatively tepid: 6-9-2 with an .898 save percentage.

Defenseman Jake Sanderson was also knocked out of action against Edmonton.

Flames vs. Senators Pick

Before the All-Star break, the Senators had strung together four straight wins for the third time this season. On the two previous occasions, they lost multiple games after the streak came to an end. But Sogaard presents a bit of a wild card. He was 1-1 in his two starts last season, and it's not unusual to see teams step up their defense to help protect minor-league call-ups.

As for the Flames — did their solid effort in Buffalo on Saturday show they're turning a corner? Or was it another tease, part of an ongoing pattern of inconsistent play?

Monday's game will be the first of the year between these teams, who are set to clash again in Calgary in mid-March.

Though both teams are capable of putting the puck in the net, look for a low-event night on Monday. Six goals seems like a high-enough threshold for savvy bettors to consider the under.

Pick: Under 6 | Play to -115

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