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Posted at 3:00 PM EST.

8:05 PM EST. OT included. What’s there to like about the Wild over the Flames here? How about nothing, that’s what. Minnesota is coming off three games in the rugged California coast against L.A., Anaheim and San Jose in which they won two of those games. The market loves victories. We do too when we bet on a team and they win but we also understand that victories do not tell the real story. The real story regarding the Wild is that they rarely outplay any team that’s any good and the Flames qualify. Minnesota is 5-4 over its last nine games but three of those wins came in OT and another one was against the Sabres, barely, by one goal, 5-4. Over that same span, the Wild lost to Winnipeg, 7-2 and to St. Louis 6-3 and losses by three goals or more speak louder than one-goal OT victories. Minnesota has mustered a mere 27, 25, 19, 24, 21 and 24 shots on net in six of its last nine games and over the past month, the Wild rank 29th in Corsi For % during five-on-five play and 28th in scoring chances for. This is truly one of the weaker and slower teams in the NHL.

Then there are the Flames, who have won two straight over Montreal and Vancouver after losing three in a row previously. Over the past five weeks, Calgary ranks fifth in Corsi For % during five-on-five play and they also rank highly in several other key metrics on both sides of the puck. In the past week, the Flames went 2-0-1 and the loss was in a shootout to Toronto, which is one of the hottest teams in the league right now. From top to bottom, there really is so much to like about the Flames from their defense to their scoring to their goaltending to their determination but there is still something missing. If they can find that missing piece, Calgary is a contender and even if they stand pat they’re going to be a tough out. Win or lose here, we can live with the result because we know we’re going with the best if it with a Flames’ squad that should outwork, outplay, out-shoot and out-everything this beatable host.

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