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Flames in Eye of Hurricanes

Carolina Riding Four-Game Winning streak

· Jan 07 - 3 minutes read

The Calgary Flames have been falling into a bit of a funk these last few weeks. They were on a four-game losing streak before rattling off solid back-to-back wins. Since then, they have lost two more games – this time by a combined score of 10-3.

It’s been tough sledding for them, but there is a reason Calgary was 15-4-5 to start the season.

Can Slumping Flames Snap Out Of It In Carolina? — Bruce Bennett/Getty Images/AFP

Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes are a totally different story. They have won four straight games and eight of their last nine. They’ve been great against the NHL odds in the sportsbook.

Sitting at 23-7-1, there aren’t many teams ahead of Carolina in the standings. Let’s take a closer look at this contest for NHL betting lines purposes.

Game: Calgary Flames (17-9-6) at Carolina Hurricanes (23-7-1)

Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC

Day/Time: Friday, 7 p.m. ET

Television: ESPN+

Calgary Flames at Carolina Hurricanes

Visitors in a Funk

The Flames fell to the Hurricanes the last time these two teams met. It was a low-scoring overtime loss, one that Calgary wants to avenge.

The Flames will have to get it done on both ends of the floor if there is hope of making that a reality, though. They are 16th in the league in terms of total goals scored, led by Johnny Gaudreau.

Gaudreau has played in 31 games and has 14 goals and 23 assists. He’s been a solid two-way player and with a healthy plus-minus of +22.

Calgary needs another big game from Gaudreau and goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who has been a key piece to the Calgary defense. Markstrom is holding opponents to just 2.15 goals per game in 24 starts.

Hurricanes Among League’s Hottest

The Hurricanes are flying high right now but can’t afford to overlook a strong opponent. Carolina has won eight of nine and is scoring an average of 3.42 goals per game, ranking 11th in the NHL.

Surprisingly, that isn’t the strength of their group. The Hurricanes are the No. 1-ranked defense in the league, allowing just 2.13 goals per contest. Top goaltender Frederik Andersen is the centerpiece of their back end.

He has started 22 games and only allows 1.91 goals per game to his opponents. Carolina builds around his sturdiness on that end, which is how it has somehow turned the league’s toughest schedule into a 23-7-1 record.

Hurricanes to Extend Flames’ Struggles

The Flames are 6-1 in their last seven games when entering the matchup on zero days of rest, so that’s something to consider.

On the other hand, the Hurricanes are undefeated in their last seven games when getting three or more days of rest. They also play well against strong opponents, winning six of their last seven against teams with a winning straight-up record on the season.

If you bet online, take the Hurricanes in this spot.