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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Face-off: 2100 ET, 15/02/2022
Arena: Scotiabank Saddledome
Calgary will look to extend their league-leading six-game winning run when they welcome Columbus to Alberta.
The visitors have a three-game hot streak of their own, so something has to give.
Victory for the Flames will lift them to the top of the Pacific Division standings, though, and they are rated a cut above.
In the first of our Calgary Flames vs Columbus Blue Jackets predictions, we’re going with a home win by three goals at 4.4.
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Calgary boosted their offence with the acquisition of right-wing Tyler Toffoli from Montreal Canadiens on Monday.
The trade reunites Toffoli with coach Daryl Sutter and centre Trevor Lewis, who he won the Stanley Cup with for the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.
Physical winger Milan Lucic was also a team-mate of Toffoli with the Kings.
Toffoli had nine goals and 26 points in 37 games with the Habs this season, but it was his 28 goals in 52 contests with Montreal last term that gives reason for optimism of a boost to Calgary’s already-impressive offence.
Flames general manager Brad Treliving is excited by the addition and said: “I expect him to come in and be a good player. That’s what he’s been his whole career.
“The goal-scoring gets talked about a lot and he’s one of those guys that has that gift…but what doesn’t get talked enough about is his all-around game.
“Yes, he’s made his living because he can shoot it in the net, but he does a lot more. That’s what excites me. I expect him to come in and be a really good player.
“He’s excited about where our team’s at. He knows we have a lot of work ahead of us, but he’s excited to get into a playoff race.”
Calgary have not lost the third period in each of their last eight home games and 5.25 for the Flames to win that section with both teams scoring is added to our NHL predictions.
Columbus will hope for a better performance than when facing Calgary at Nationwide Arena late last month, when they were beaten 6-0.
The Blue Jackets are coming in off the back of three road victories in Washington, Buffalo and Montreal but the red-hot Flames will offer a sterner test.
Columbus have won each of their last five away games and six of their last seven and have not tasted defeat on the road since the 9-2 loss in Florida on January 15.
Patrik Laine has been key to the Blue Jackets’ success and he hit the powerplay winner with just 7.2 seconds remaining in a 2-1 win over Montreal.
That earned Laine his seventh goal and 12th point in his last six games.
Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen believes Laine is playing the best hockey of his career.
He said: “It’s the best I’ve seen him. He’s starting to get in that zone a little bit that when he shoots the puck, he thinks he can score.
“You can just tell how it’s coming off his stick, even in practice. You start to score and things just seem to start clicking.
“And what has come so natural to him for so long, you start to see it at the highest level in the game, and that’s neat to see with a guy of his calibre.”
Columbus have scored at least two goals in 11 of their last 12 road games, but we still prefer Calgary and a home win with over 6.5 goals at 2.75 appeals from the NHL odds.
Additional stats
Last result:
CALGARY 5-2 New York Islanders
Montreal 1-2 COLUMBUS
Head-to-head: Columbus 0-6 Calgary
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