Los Angeles Kings (23-10-5) vs. Calgary Flames (19-14-7)
The 2024-25 NHL season continues Saturday, January 11, with the Los Angeles Kings taking on the Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division showdown at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB, with the puck drop at 10:00 PM ET.
This should have been the third and final meeting of the season between Los Angeles and Calgary. However, last Wednesday, the league postponed their duel at Crypto.com Arena due to wildfires in Los Angeles area.
Calgary beat Los Angeles 3-1 at home in December. Will Calgary get another home win over LA? Read more about this Kings vs. Flames prediction.
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The Kings wrap up a back-to-back set
This article was published before yesterday’s results, and the Los Angeles Kings visited the Winnipeg Jets, searching for their fifth straight victory. The Kings were coming off a perfect four-game homestand, outlasting the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in overtime, the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4, the New Jersey Devils 3-0, and the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1.
Los Angeles took the ice for the first time since last Saturday when the Kings overcame an early deficit against Tampa Bay. The Lightning outshot the Kings 34-21, but Darcy Kuemper had a big game in the crease.
Kuemper was expected to guard the cage against Winnipeg on Friday, while David Rittich was projected to start against Calgary on Saturday night. Rittich is 11-8-0 with a 2.55 GAA and a .887 save percentage this season. The Kings allow just 2.50 goals per game (tied-1st in the NHL) while scoring 3.11 goals in return (13th).
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The Flames eye the second straight win
The Calgary Flames are coming off Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime victory at the Anaheim Ducks. After consecutive home losses against the Utah Hockey Club 5-3 and the Nashville Predators 4-1, the Flames held off the Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim thanks to Jonathan Huberdeau’s power-play goal.
Calgary outshot Anaheim 33-28 while going 1-for-3 with the man advantage. Dustin Wolf posted 26 saves, advancing to 13-6-2 on the season. He sports a 2.60 GAA and a .914 save percentage, while Dan Vladar is 6-8-5 with a 3.08 GAA and a .888 save percentage.
The Flames are 14th in the league in goals against (3.03 per game) and 27th in goals for (2.63). Their offense has struggled for most of the season, and Huberdeau leads the way with 17 goals and 13 assists in 40 games. Connor Zary (G10, A12) suffered a lower-body injury against the Ducks and is questionable to play against the Kings.
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Best Bets for Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Flames had three days to recover from the Ducks game. On the other side, the Kings will play without rest, but they had almost the entire week to prepare for a back-to-back set. The Kings are one of the best defensive teams in the league, so I can only look at them in this matchup.
Calgary has only scored 10 goals over its previous five outings. Dan Vladar is projected to patrol the crease on Saturday, and he’s winless in four straight starts, surrendering a whopping 17 goals in the process. The Flames have allowed the most power-play goals in the NHL this season (35), whereas the Kings are ninth in penalty-killing percentage (95-for-115).
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
I’ve mentioned the Flames’ offensive woes. Calgary could easily continue to struggle when the Kings come to town. David Rittich is having a solid season, and the veteran netminder has allowed 13 goals over his previous six starts.
The Kings are not an explosive offensive team. They shouldn’t score a lot of goals even if Dan Vladar gets the starting call for the Flames. Four of the Kings’ previous six contests and five of the Flames’ last six have seen fewer than six goals on the scoreboard, so I’m going with the under on the total.
Want a second opinion on this pick?
For another opinion on this game, check out Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames Prediction from Statsalt, our partner site.
