Flames and Stars ready to go at it in Game 1

Game 1, Round 1: Dallas Stars vs Calgary Flames

Tonight At 8:00 PM MT @ Scotiabank Saddledome

Dallas Stars 21-22 Regular Season Record: 45-30-7 – (98 Points – Finished 4th in the Central Division – First Wildcard spot)

Calgary Flames 21-22 Regular Season Record: 50-21-11 (111 Points – Finished 1st in the Pacific Division)

Broadcast Info: TV – CBC, Sportsnet, ESPN2 / Radio – Sportsnet 960

Well the day has finally come! Game number one of the Flames first round matchup against the Stars is upon us. It’ll be a feisty one, as the two teams are matched up evenly. It comes down to the Goaltending and Defence between these two and the Flames have the slight upper hand in both of these combined categories. If the Flames want to win this game (and the series), they need to shut down the Stars first line of Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski and then the second line of Benn-Seguin-Gurianov. Also wouldn't hurt if they shut down Miro Heiskanen (who was a major thorn in their side in the 2020 playoffs).

With the Flames having home-ice advantage in this one, it'll definitely play a huge factor in who controls this series and who is the outlier. Definitely shouldn't take the Stars fanbase lightly as well, they’re known for making the American Airlines Center a tough place to play in (especially when you continuously hear the DALLAS-STARS goal song). But again, the Flames have one of the best fanbases in the NHL and they'll be raising the roof off of the Saddledome in this series.

Jacob Markstrom will get the start in between the pipes for the Flames, meanwhile Jake Oettinger will be in the crease for the Stars. In his career against the Stars during his lengthy NHL career, Markstrom has a record of 7-2-2, a Save Percentage of .914 SV%, and a Goals Against Average of 2.65. A well rested Markstrom can be a problem and his small sample size in the playoffs shows he’ll be a big piece for the Flames on the back end. Knowing what he can do, his effort in this series will be something to watch.

Season Series

In the regular season matchup against the Stars, the Flames had the upper hand took it home, going 2-0-1. One of those wins was a huge comeback win in the third period in Dallas. Winning a season series against a team doesn't really mean much in the Playoffs, but can be a good indicator s to what you can see from both teams. In the three games, the two teams played a tight checking and high intensity game. So here are the three games and the results between the Flames and the Stars:

November 4th, 2021: Dallas Stars 4 vs Calgary Flames 3 (OT)

February 1st, 2022: Calgary Flames 4 @ Dallas Stars 3

April 21st, 2022: Dallas Stars 2 vs Calgary Flames 4

Betting Odds Via Betway

To win the game:

Stars: +185 (Underdog)

Flames: -230 (Favourite)

Money line:

Stars: 2.85

Flames: 1.43

Puck line:

Stars: 1.74

Flames: 2.15

Players To Watch

Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson. This is the playoff debut for the young sensation and he’s looking to contribute massively for his team. In 74 games played in the regular season, Robertson was phenomenal dropping 79 points (41 goals and 38 assists) leading his team to a playoff berth. If the Flames wanna shutdown the Stars they have to shut him and his line mates down.

Calgary Flames

Jacob Markstrom. In 14 games played in the 2020 Bubble Playoffs, Markstrom was one of the many reasons as to why the Canucks made a surprise run. He posted a record of 8 wins and 6 losses, alongside a stat line of a .919 save percentage, 2.85 GAA and one shutout. A well rested Jacob Markstrom is known to be a problem for opposing teams and he's known to turn it up a notch in the playoffs.

Well we’re in store for a good one tonight. First Playoff game in Calgary since April 19th, 2019 (another sad playoff flashback). Expect the C of Red to blow the roof off of the building in excitement before the game. Go Flames Go!

by Taranjot Vining