Minnesota vs Calgary Prediction 26 January 2025

🔊 Can the “Wild” emerge from their crisis? Minnesota still holds a position at the top of the Western Conference standings but continues to rapidly lose points. The club is clearly in a crisis, and the return of the leader has not yet played a decisive role. Calgary, on the other hand, has picked up a decent pace and seems to have found an effective solution to all their defensive problems.

📊 Head-to-Head

In the current regular season, the opponents have met once, in the province of Alberta. The confrontation was extremely intense, and the winner was determined only in a shootout series. The “Flames” lost a key advantage in the final minutes but ultimately snatched victory (4:3). The most productive player of the match was Minnesota forward Marco Rossi. The Austrian scored a goal and provided an assist. However, recently, the player's form has left much to be desired, as has his entire team. In the last five games, he has only managed to score points twice.

🟢 Minnesota

The leader of the “Wild,” Kirill Kaprizov, returned after an injury in the last game against Utah. However, the Russian's appearance on the ice did not lead the team to fully emerge from their crisis. The effect was rather the opposite - the home team suffered another defeat, this time even a devastating one (0:4). John Hynes' squad is still holding onto fourth place in the West, but the team's standing cannot be considered secure. The former resilience of the players from Saint Paul is no longer there, and if they don't manage to break out of their string of failures soon, there's a risk of being on the brink of missing the playoffs.

🔴 Calgary

The numerous defensive problems of the “Flames” seemed unsolvable for a long time. The actions of the coaching staff, led by Ryan Huska, did not have the desired effect, causing the team to continue conceding goals in completely unexpected situations. The solution turned out to be quite unexpected. Goalie Dustin Wolf gradually started demonstrating very calm and effective play. The young netminder is already considered one of the favorites for the rookie of the year award and is proving his new status with his performance. The player has won 12 out of his last 14 home games and is confidently leading his team into the playoffs.

🔗 Projected Lineups

Minnesota: Gustavsson - Faber, Middleton - Kaprizov, Rossi, Zuccarello

Calgary: Wolf - Andersson, Bal - Posposhil, Kadri, Huberdeau

🥅 Goalkeepers

Minnesota's goalkeeper Filip Gustavsson has not been able to boast outstanding achievements lately. In his last three matches, the Swede has not once maintained a save percentage above 90% and has consequently suffered three defeats. He looked particularly lackluster against Utah, conceding four goals from 29 shots on goal.

Calgary's goalie Dustin Wolf has become a real sensation in Canada. The young American continues to demonstrate remarkable composure for his age. In his last five matches, he only once failed to maintain a save percentage above 90%, and it was then that his team lost to St. Louis. The player is gradually becoming increasingly important for the team from Alberta.

📝 Editor's Prediction

In recent years, head-to-head clashes between these teams have been quite intense and relentless. This is influenced by the fight for a playoff spot within the same division. In 11 out of the last 12 head-to-head matches, opponents limited themselves to six goals. Defensive actions clearly prevail over offense here. The current standings of the opponents will likely be a major factor and serve as a basis for maintaining this trend. It's unlikely that fans in the stands will witness a goal-scoring shootout. Our key bet is total under 6.5 goals.