There’s more NFL action in both the Western and Eastern Conferences on Friday night, with the clash between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Calgary Flames one of the night’s stand-out matchups.
Although they’re not one of the betting favorites to win the 2022 Stanley Cup, the Calgary Flames have enjoyed a decent start in the Pacific Division.
The Flames are a massive looking +2800 with the sportsbooks in the Stanley Cup Vegas betting odds, while the Maple Leafs are far shorter at +1100. The favorite with the Vegas sportsbooks is Colorado Avalanche at +700.
| 2021/22 Stanley Cup Winner Betting Odds |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +700 | +650 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +900 | +800 |
| Florida Panthers | +900 | +950 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1000 | +1100 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1100 | +1100 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1100 | +1200 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1100 | +1200 |
| Boston Bruins | +1400 | +1500 |
| Minnesota Wild | +1800 | +2000 |
| New York Rangers | +2000 | +1500 |
The first match I want to look at on Friday is between the Toronto Maple Leafs (8-5-1) and the Calgary Flames (7-3-3).
The Leafs were humbled when they were taken down in their own backyard by the Los Angeles Kings, but they didn’t waste any time putting things right.
The Maple Leafs bounced back from their 5-1 defeat to the Kings on Monday by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania.
The Kings are only midtable in the Pacific Division, so to lose so heavily to them would have shocked the Maple Leafs – making the comeback win over the Flyers (also a midtable side) all the more important.
As for the Calgary Flames, they had a great start to the season, but the wheels have started to come off a touch lately.
They currently sit third in the Pacific Division but have now lost their last two in a row.
Previous to the back-to-back defeats, their six-match winning streak was brought to an end against the Predators just over a week ago. They went down 3-2 in overtime against Nashville.
Since that defeat, the Flames’ form has been a bit scratchy. They again lost in OT last Thursday, this time to Dallas Stars, and then went on to beat New York Rangers 6-0 on Saturday night.
They couldn’t build on that 6-0 win though and went down 4-1 at home to San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.
Last night’s match against the Canadians resulted in a 4-2 defeat.
The latest Las Vegas NHL betting odds have the Maple Leafs (-1.5) at +160 on the Puck Line, and I think that’s good value on current form.
Next, we move onto the Metropolitan Division, where Carolina Hurricanes will be looking to build on their impressive 10-1-0 when they host the Philadelphia Flyers tonight.
With a record like that, it’s no surprise to find the Hurricanes are top of their division.
They did need overtime to beat Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, and prior to that, they lost 5-2 to the Florida Panthers, a defeat that ended the Hurricanes’ 9 matches winning streak.
The Panthers are amongst the betting favorites to win the 2022 Stanley Cup, so there should be no major worries for fans of the Canes at the loss, although the size of the defeat might raise an eyebrow or two.
Those of you paying attention will already know that the Flyers lost three zip at home to the Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Alain Vigneault’s side has a 6-3-2 record and is currently midtable in the Metropolitan Division.
Although difficult fixtures, this run of matches is really important for the Flyers, as they could determine if Philadelphia is going to be able to challenge at the top end of the conference or not.
The Hurricanes will be looking to get another winning run going though, and this match represents an ideal chance to notch another win in the scorebook.
BetOnline has the Hurricanes (-1.5) at +130 on the Puck Line, and I’m happy to go with that.
Make sure you check out our BetOnline Sportsbook Review for more Ice Hockey betting offers.
The final match-up I want to look at is between two sides struggling at the bottom of the Central Division.
The Blackhawks record reads 3-9-2, and they have just 8 points. They are up against the Arizona Coyotes who have a 1-11-1 record and sit bottom of the Central Division with just 3 points.
For the Blackhawks, this match represents a chance to continue their recovery from an appalling start.
They have now won their last two matches (OT and SO required), and they will be looking to extend their winning streak to three.
As for the Coyotes, they managed their first and only win of the season last weekend when they defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-4.
They couldn’t build on this midweek though, losing 5-2 at home to Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.
Again, I’m betting on the Puck Line, and I’m going with the Blackhawks (-1.5) at +130.
