NHL Saturday Three-Game Parlay - Western Conference Matchups

Game 1 Preview: Calgary Flames at Los Angeles Kings  

The Calgary Flames are limping into this one, coming off an embarrassing 7-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. But the Flames are a professional team, and they know that those are the types of games that aren’t worth remembering.

No need to dwell on why it happened, just move on. The loss won’t be a trend of things to come. Calgary is still one of the best teams in the league.    

Los Angeles Kings were dealt a huge blow earlier in the week when they learned that forward Ryan Smyth may miss a month with an upper-body injury. They followed that news with a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia.

Smyth’s absence cannot be overstated. He is the veteran force that drives that team and has been a great compliment to the rising star that is Anze Kopitar, who leads the league in points. The next month will be a huge test to see how Los Angeles deals with a major injury.    

Winning Pick: Los Angeles Kings  

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Game 2 Preview: Philadelphia Flyers at Phoenix Coyotes  

Philadelphia Flyers remains one of the hottest teams in the league, and much of that success can be attributed to the play of Ray Emery. The once-beleaguered net minder has been playing so well that former hockey bench boss Peter Laviolette believes there should be a spot on Team Canada’s roster for Emery.

Maybe a bit hyperbolic, but it proves that Emery has made a successful return to the NHL, something many people were skeptical to believe early in the season. The Flyers are a much better team because of it.     

The Desert Dogs continue to be one of the top stories in the NHL. Left for dead in the offseason, the Phoenix Coyotes refused to mail in the year, and stand at an impressive 12-10-0 on the season. Whether or not they keep it up is another question, but highly irrelevant at the moment. The mere fact that the Coyotes at this point, have more points than the Detroit Red Wings, is nothing short of a miracle.    

Winning Pick: Philadelphia Flyers  

Game 3 Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets at Nashville Predators  

The Columbus Blue Jackets are coming off a 4-1 win over the Stars on Thursday. Steve Mason played brilliantly, stopping 25 shots. It was a big win for Mason, who in the game before allowed eight goals on 27 shots against Detroit. The fact that Mason was able to bounce back as well as he did shows tremendous poise and talent for a sophomore goaltender. That kind of resiliency seeps into the other players on the team.  

The Nashville Predators are hot. They’ve won four straight, including a shootout win over the Devils and a victory over the Sharks, who lead the NHL in points. They’ve won 9 of 12 overall and look like a completely different team that started the season.

Jason Arnott scored a pair against the Devils, and his success is key for the Predators. They’re still stuck in an incredibly hard division, but have shown they can compete with the big boys.