NHL Hockey Betting: Toronto Maple Leafs at Calgary Flames

Tough spot for the Toronto Maple Leafs and a good opportunity to pick up a win for the hometown Calgary Flames. Toronto is playing the second of back to back games after a big win over the Oilers in Edmonton last night. Calgary will be rested, having last played on Monday night in a 2-1 loss to the NY Islanders. Toronto has now won two straight after a three game losing streak but the last two games set up very nicely por them. Following a 5-4 loss at New Jersey they had three days until a 4-2 win over Washington at home and 3 more before last night’s game at Edmonton. They’ll have a similar schedule after they get through Calgary but this is a very tough spot for them.

The Flames had won 5 of 7 before dropping their last two games. Chad Johnson appears to have taken the starting goaltender job away from Brian Elliott–at least for now. Elliott could find himself shipped back out of town by the trade deadline if Johnson continues to excel. Frederik Andersen is tentatively penciled in as the Leafs’ starter but that could change in the second of a back to back spot. Toronto has had a very pronounced home/away performance split this year. At home, they’re 8-3-0. On the road, they’re 2-5-4 even with Tuesday’s win. Calgary’s had the opposite problem–a decent 7-6-2 record away from home but a woeful 3-7-0 mark at the Saddledome.

These teams have split the last four meetings with each winning on home ice. They split both games last year and have yet to play this season. Flames will be without sparkplug Johnny Gaudreau until after the first of the year but need to stay in contention until he returns if they’re going to make the postseason this year in a loaded Western Conference. Leafs only 1 point out of a wild card berth at this juncture and that would be a coup in Mike Babcock’s second year behind the bench.

No line on this game right now–that appears to be the ‘new normal’ for games involving teams that played the previous night. Once a line goes up we’ll back the Flames. Just a tough spot for a tired team that hasn’t played well on the road.

BET CALGARY FLAMES OVER TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS