Sean Maloney
The Calgary Flames look to avoid losing five in a row for the first time in over two years when they open a brief two-game road trip in Chicago on Monday as -133 favorites on the NHL odds at BetOnline. The Flames hit the road after dropping a 4-2 decision to the visiting Boston Bruins on Saturday night, and have also fallen to defeat in each of their past two away contests. The Blackhawks return home after suffering a heartbreaking 5-4 loss in Toronto on Saturday and have work to do to snap a two-game slide on home ice.
MyTopSportsbooks takes a look at all the odds and trends ahead of Monday night’s matchup at United Center. Sports bettors getting in on NHL betting action for the first time should check out our Stanley Cup betting guide, and learn about NHL hockey betting sites.
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Calgary Flames vs Chicago Blackhawks
Monday, December 13, 7:30 pm ET
United Center
Team Records
Flames: 11-6-1, 23 points (4th place, Central Division)
Blackhawks: 16-6-1, 33 points (1st place, Atlantic Division)
Flames vs Blackhawks Betting Trends
Monday night’s matchup at United Center marks the second of three meetings this season between these Western Conference rivals. The Flames skated to a decisive 5-2 victory when the Blackhawks visited the Scotiabank Saddledome back on November 23 and has now taken home the win in eight of 10 head-to-head clashes since November 2016. That run features four straight victories at United Center. However, each of those wins has come by just a single goal, capped by a slender 2-1 win in their most recent trip to the Windy City back in January 2020. That result bucked a recent trend towards high scoring when these two teams meet. The Blackhawks and Flames have combined to score at least seven goals in seven of their past 10 meetings overall, but just once in four clashes in Chicago.
Calgary Flames News & Notes
The Flames saw their recent scoring woes continue in Saturday night’s loss to the Bruins. The club has tallied just two goals per game during their current swoon, and have not held a lead in their past 145 minutes of action. Despite their current slide, the Flames have managed to remain in a tight two-way race for the top of the Pacific Division standings with the surprising Anaheim Ducks.
.@BParkerTV wraps up tonight’s clash vs. the Bruins in Game Over, presented by @McDonaldsCanada. pic.twitter.com/xXp1gZOcOB
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) December 12, 2021
Calgary’s top offensive players have not been immune from the team’s recent power outage. Johnny Gaudreau continues to lead all Calgary skaters with 30 points but has scored just once in his past eight appearances. Elias Lindholm has also failed to find the back of the net in his past three outings, while Matthew Tkachuk’s power-play marker in Saturday’s loss snapped a four-game goalless streak.
#Flames G Jacob Markstrom on Calgary’s 2-1 OTL: “We didn’t get two points so it wasn’t good. We didn’t get two points. Now we haven’t got two points three games in a row. So, it’s not good for our group and not good for our team and not good enough for me.”
— Kristen Anderson (@KdotAnderson) December 10, 2021
The Flames’ offensive struggles have added to the already heavy burden on the team’s netminders, most notably Jacob Markstrom. The talented Finnish veteran has played a huge role in the Flames’ resurgence this season while racking up a 10-6-5 record with five shutouts and a sparkling 1.94 goals-against average. However, Flames shooters have consistently failed to give their star goaltender adequate scoring support, scoring just two goals per game over his past six starts, and three or fewer goals in 11 of his past 14 outings.
Chicago Blackhawks News & Notes
The Blackhawks deserved a better fate in Saturday night’s loss in Toronto. Trailing by three goals in the second period, the Blackhawks rebounded to tie the contest midway through the third before giving up the game-winner on a bad hop with less than two minutes remaining. The defeat extends a disappointing stretch of inconsistency for the club, who have alternated between wins and losses during their current 5-6-0 run. And while they have fallen short in their past two home dates, the Blackhawks have managed to compile a respectable 5-3-0 run over their past eight on home ice.
WHAT. A. BOUNCE 😳
David Kampf gets the game winner for the Leafs against his former team 🚨pic.twitter.com/jP7Oa3WipZ
— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) December 12, 2021
Steady offensive production has continued to elude the Blackhawks, who rank 29th in the NHL in team scoring, and have averaged just 2.27 goals per game over their past 11 contests. Alex DeBrincat leads the club in goals, with 14, but has tallied just two total assists over his past four outings.
What a moment for Marc-Andre Fleury, who picks up career win No. 500 in his hometown of Montreal. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/aGcxAVQDGO
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 10, 2021
Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Marc-Andre Fleury has given Blackhawks fans something to cheer about. Fleury has been between the pipes for eight of the club’s 10 wins to date and has surrendered more than two goals just twice in his past six starts on home ice.
Best Bet: Flames (-133) at BetOnline; UNDER 5.5 (-104)
