Flames Bid to Extend Stars’ Offensive Woes

Whatever defensive troubles plagued the Calgary Flames during the regular season haven’t been a problem in the playoffs as they look to extend their lead over Dallas on Thursday night in Game 2 of their first-round best-of-seven. The Flames opened the Stanley Cup Round of 16 with a 3-2 win over the Stars and have allowed just eight goals in five games since the restart.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

This one has been too close to call for oddsmakers, who made the Stars a -108 favorite to open but have shifted the Flames to anywhere from -107 to -115. The total is set at a rock-bottom 5, with the O5 installed at -130 in most spots.

Calgary News & Notes

The Flames have hit their stride at the right time – dating back to their postseason qualification series, they’ve outscored Winnipeg and Dallas by a combined 13-4 margin and are now -220 favorites to advance. And special teams have been at the forefront, with Calgary ranked No. 1 on the power play (33.3 percent) and No. 5 on the penalty kill (89.5 percent).

And the best part for Flames fans: Balance has been a trademark of the team’s offensive approach so far this postseason, with seven players having produced multiple goals through the first five games. Dillon Dube was the latest player to join the fun with a pair of goals in Game 1; bettors who want to ride the hot hand will get great odds on a Dube goal prop for Game 2.

Dallas News & Notes

A solid regular-season showing is well back in the rear-view mirror for the Stars, who have lost three of four games since the restart and have had fewer than 28 shots on goal three times over that span. Dallas has been dismal on special teams, going just 1-for-11 with the man advantage while surrendering three goals on 13 opposition opportunities so far.

And while we’ve already shared a Flames pick, there’s another one that every bettor should consider given how dreadful Dallas’s starts have been. Dube’s goal 10:54 into the first period marked the ninth consecutive game in which the Stars have surrendered the first goal of the matchup – so while you won’t make a mint, taking Calgary to score first Thursday is a decent play.

Betting Pick: Flames -1.5

Look for Calgary to score first and score often as it looks to take advantage of a Dallas team that looks completely disjointed on offense.