Free NHL Picks Today: Calgary Flames vs Minnesota Wild 3/4/23

A pair of teams trending in opposite directions battle at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday as the Minnesota Wild (35-21-6) will be out to extend their winning run when they are on the road to face the stumbling Calgary Flames (27-22-13). Minnesota is coming off a 2-1 win over the Canucks on Thursday, their third consecutive win.

The Wild committed four penalties in the game, conceding one power play goal. Kirill Kaprizov was the only player to find the net, scoring twice for the Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury had a great performance with 21 saves (.954%) in the win.

Calgary dropped their fourth straight game, falling 2-1 to the Maple Leafs on Thursday. Blake Coleman netted the only goal for the Flames. Jacob Markstrom had a great performance with 32 saves (.941%) in the loss.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Flames won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 5-3 victory in December. Rasmus Andersson (1G 2A) and Elias Lindholm (0G 3A) each had three points to lead Calgary. Mason Shaw (1G 1A), Jon Merrill (1G 1A), and Connor Dewar (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Minnesota. Dan Vladar got the win despite allowing three goals on 28 shots (.892%).

FACING OFF

Minnesota is averaging 2.77 goals per game for the season, 26th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Flames team that is allowing 3.06 goals a game (15th). Meanwhile, Calgary has found the net 3.11 times a game on average, 18th in the league, and the Wild are holding opponents to 2.66 goals per game (5th).

Calgary averages more shots (35.6) than most teams in the league, ranking second, though the team’s 8.8% shooting percentage is 32nd. With an average of 31.3 attempts, Minnesota ranks 18th.The Wild’s 23.04% power play percentage ranks ninth in the league, while the Flames are 22nd with a conversion rate of 19.70%. In terms of penalty killing, Minnesota has the league’s 10th-ranked PK% at 82.05%, while Calgary is 13th at 81.40%.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With 73 points this season, Kaprizov is the top skater for the Wild. He is among the league leaders with 39 goals (5th) and has added 34 assists. In the net, Filip Gustavsson (16-8-3) is Minnesota’s top goaltender by goals against average.

He has a 2.06 GAA, second-best in the league, and a .930% save percentage, also second-best. Fleury (18-13-3) leads the Wild in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 2.86 and a save percentage of .904%. Tyler Toffoli and Lindholm lead the Flames in scoring with 53 and 51 points, respectively.

Toffoli has 25 goals and 28 assists, while Lindholm has 17 goals and 34 assists. Vladar (12-6-5) has the best goals against average for Calgary at 2.95. He has a save percentage of .892%. Markstrom (15-15-8) has played the most games in net for the Flames this season. He has a 2.96 GAA and a .887% save percentage.