- 1 Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames: Calgary’s goalie question and a back-to-back in Denver
- 2 Colorado Avalanche: 4.1 goals per game, MacKinnon’s 21 points, and Manson’s injury on the blue line
- 3 Calgary Flames: 2.3 goals per game, a shutout in Edmonton, and Wolf back in the crease
- 4 Free NHL Prediction: Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames: Calgary’s goalie question and a back-to-back in Denver 
Devin Cooley lasted one period in Edmonton on Wednesday. Calgary’s goaltender collided with Colton Dach in the crease with 12 seconds left in the first, left with a lower-body injury, and Dustin Wolf played the final 40 minutes of a 4-0 loss. Cooley had a .912 save percentage before that night, the best figure on the Flames’ roster.
That’s the backdrop to Saturday 31 October at Ball Arena, where Calgary visit the Colorado Avalanche at 10:00pm ET (8:00pm local time). The Flames host Seattle on Friday night, so this is the second half of a back-to-back, with a flight from Calgary to Denver in between.
Colorado, meanwhile, last played on Wednesday. The Avalanche beat New Jersey 5-2 that night, scoring four times in the third period, and they’ll have had two full days off before this game. They’re 7-5-1 with 15 points, third in the Central Division, and 5-1-1 at home.
Calgary are 5-7-0 with 10 points, sixth in the Pacific, and 1-4-0 on the road. The shutout in Edmonton ended a four-game winning streak, during which the Flames had allowed just six goals.
The Avalanche already lead the season series 1-0 after winning the first meeting on 8 October. To understand why the gap looks wider now than the standings suggest, it helps to look at what each team does with the puck, and the numbers on that front aren’t close.
Colorado Avalanche: 4.1 goals per game, MacKinnon’s 21 points, and Manson’s injury on the blue line 
Colorado score 4.1 goals per game. Against New Jersey on Wednesday they trailed 1-0 after Connor Brown’s short-handed goal, tied it through Gabriel Landeskog on the power play, and then pulled away in the third with goals from Nazem Kadri, Parker Kelly, Nathan MacKinnon on a breakaway and Jaden Schwartz.
The shot count from that game matters more than the score. Jake Allen made 39 saves for New Jersey, which means Colorado put 44 shots on goal. Mackenzie Blackwood needed only 20 saves at the other end, in the 300th game of his NHL career.
MacKinnon leads the team with 21 points, 14 of them assists, and Artturi Lehkonen leads in goals with 10. Brent Burns had two assists on Wednesday and reached 950 career points, passing Erik Karlsson and Chris Chelios for 10th among defensemen in NHL history.
The win also ended a rough patch. Before Wednesday, the Avalanche had gone 2-3-1 in six games, a run that included a 6-2 loss to Nashville on 25 October and one-goal defeats to Philadelphia and New Jersey. Jared Bednar’s team allows 3.3 goals per game, which is the weaker half of their profile.
There’s a lineup change to account for. Josh Manson left Wednesday’s game in the first period with a lower-body injury, and Bednar said afterwards that he’ll miss some time. Nicolas Roy returned from a six-game absence in the same game and picked up an assist, so the forward group is closer to full strength even as the defense loses a regular.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
Calgary Flames: 2.3 goals per game, a shutout in Edmonton, and Wolf back in the crease 
Calgary’s four-game winning streak was built on defense. The Flames beat Carolina 3-2, Minnesota 2-1, Detroit 4-1 and Toronto 5-2, and in those four games they allowed six goals in total.
The problem is the other end. Calgary average 2.3 goals per game, and Edmonton shut them out on Wednesday with Tristan Jarry making 24 saves. Joel Farabee leads the team with nine points, and Morgan Frost leads in goals with only three.
The power play has been the most reliable source of goals. Against Detroit on 24 October, Farabee scored and added two power-play assists, and Matt Coronato also had two power-play assists. Against a Colorado team that scored four times in one period on Wednesday, Calgary will probably need special teams to keep up.
Wolf is likely to carry more of the load. He stopped 20 of 23 shots in relief in Edmonton, and with Cooley’s status unclear and Friday’s game against Seattle in between, the Flames have to decide who starts which half of the back-to-back. Whichever goaltender gets Denver will be facing a team that averages 4.1 goals per game and is 5-1-1 at home.
There’s another injury to track. Brennan Othmann left the Edmonton game early in the first period with an upper-body injury, and there was no update afterwards. Calgary have also won just once in five road games, and Saturday will be their second road game in four days.
Probable lineup Colorado Avalanche: Not announced at time of publication
Probable lineup Calgary Flames: Not announced at time of publication
Free NHL Prediction: Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames
Our prediction: Colorado Avalanche to win in regulation
Colorado have the rest, the home record and the offense. The Avalanche are 5-1-1 at Ball Arena, they’ve had two days off since beating New Jersey, and they score 4.1 goals per game against a Calgary team that averages 2.3. The Flames will be playing their second game in two nights, with an injured starting goaltender and a forward lineup that has struggled to produce beyond Farabee.
I’m taking the regulation win rather than the plain moneyline because the price on Colorado is likely to be short, and because Calgary’s road record of 1-4-0 suggests this isn’t a team that drags opponents into overtime. Colorado’s 44-shot game against New Jersey is the kind of volume a tired team struggles to absorb for 60 minutes.
The risk is goaltending. Blackwood’s save percentage is .893, and Colorado’s defense is without Manson. If Calgary’s power play gets two goals, this could be closer than it looks, but on balance the Avalanche should win this one before the third period is over.
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
_________
About our free predictions
- What we publish on MathOdds are analyses, nothing more. We share a view, a reading of the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport remains what it is: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a last-minute goal, and the script changes completely.
- Let’s be clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free bet. Even when it looks “obvious”, nothing ever is. And yes, that means you can lose. It’s even inevitable at some point.
- The smartest approach is to stay reasonable. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Never use money you need to live on. And above all: don’t chase your losses: that rarely ends well.
- A bet should remain a game, not a job or a source of income. If it starts taking up too much space in your daily life, causes stress or frustration, take a break. And if needed, talk to a support organisation: that’s what they’re there for.
- Ultimately, responsibility lies with you. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and will never disappear, no matter how good the analysis.
- Essential reminder: gambling is prohibited for minors and must comply with the laws of your country. Need help? Visit begambleaware.org.
No commitment from us
Our predictions carry no contractual value. They have no legal standing. In short: you cannot rely on them to claim anything if a bet doesn’t come through.
Information changes
A prediction is always based on what we know at the time of writing. But between publication and kick-off, a lineup can change, a player picks up an injury, the weather turns, and the analysis can quickly be outdated. We cannot be held responsible for that.
Your responsibility
Before placing a bet, simply check that gambling is legal in your country. If it isn’t, that’s your responsibility, not ours.
Responsible gambling
We can’t say it enough: gamble responsibly. If you’re struggling to stay in control, don’t wait to seek help.
Legal age
MathOdds content is intended for adults only. By browsing here, you confirm you meet the legal age requirement for gambling in your jurisdiction.
About visuals
The images and logos of Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames on MathOdds are used solely to illustrate our articles. They do not imply any official affiliation with a federation or sports organisation, and we claim no rights over them. Those rights belong to their original owners. If any visual raises a concern, contact us and it will be removed without delay.
Leave a Reply