Colorado Avalanche vs. Calgary Flames Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 10-13-2022

A pair of Western Conference powers will do battle on the ice as they clash north of the border up in Cowtown. The defending champion Colorado Avalanche are on the road as they travel to face the Calgary Flames Thursday night. Colorado, who won the Stanley Cup last season by besting the Lightning in six games, was in action on Wednesday night at home against the Blackhawks so this will be their second game in as many nights to start the year. Calgary finished the 2021-22 season 50-21-11 for 111 points and won the Pacific Division title. Their season came to an end with a five-game loss to the Oilers in the conference semifinals in the Battle of Alberta. Colorado is 8-0-2 in the last 10 meetings between the teams. That includes a 2-1 road win in the most recent matchup on March 29, 2022.

Colorado is opening the season with a back-to-back set with a game on the road after raising the Stanley Cup banner at home Wednesday against the Blackhawks. The Avalanche will get their first look at Nazem Kadri, who had a career-year last season for them only to sign with Calgary as a free agent in the offseason. Colorado also lost Darcy Kuemper (Washington), Andre Burakovsky (Kraken), Jack Johnson (Chicago), Jordan Gross (Nashville), Kiefer Sherwood (Nashville), Ryan Murray (Edmonton), Nico Sturm (San Jose), Dennis Gilbert (Calgary), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (Toronto) and Roland McKeown (Nashville) via free agency. The Avalanche did manage to retain Artturi Lehkonen, Josh Manson, Jonas Johansson, Darren Helm, Brad Hunt and added Evan Rodrigues to help fill a gap while Alexandar Georgiev takes over Kuemper’s role in the Avalanche’s goaltending duo.

Colorado finished the 2021-22 season 4th in the league in goals per game as they averaged 3.76 goals a night. The Avalanche were 10^th in goals against as they allow an average of 2.83 goals a contest. Colorado was 7^th in the league with the man advantage as they converted 24% of their chances with the man advantage. The Avalanche were 15^th in penalty killing as they successfully managed to get through 79.7% of their shorthanded situations last season. With Georgiev getting the start on Wednesday night, the expectation is that Pavel Francouz, who went 15-5-1 with a 2.55 GAA, a .916 save % and two shutouts in 21 appearances, 18 starts, will be between the pipes for this contest for Colorado.

  
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