Home Sweet Home
Calgary,Alb – Michael Cammalleri has been feeling right at home in Calgary’s Pengrowth Saddledome lately.
Cammalleri looks to continue his scoring surge and help the Northwest Division-leading Calgary Flames win for the 10th time in 11 games at the Saddledome when they face the Nashville Predators on Friday.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sportsbook.com have made the Flames –215 money line favorites for Wednesday’s game against the Predators. Current NHL Public Betting Information shows that 57% of more than 98 bets for this game have been placed on the Flames -210.
Calgary (29-14-4) has an 11-point lead atop the Northwest, thanks in large part to an 18-5-3 home record. The Flames, third in the NHL with 96 goals at home, have scored at least five goals six times during their 9-1-0 stretch at the Saddledome.
Cammalleri has been a big part of the Flames’ recent home success, with 12 goals in his last seven games in Calgary. He recorded a hat trick in Wednesday’s 5-2 victory over Buffalo, the Flames’ 11th in 14 contests.
The Calgary forward has scored eight times during a four-game goal streak, and has 11 goals and two assists during a seven-game point streak. Seventeen of his team-leading 25 goals have come at home, and the Flames are 13-3-1 overall when he scores.
"Obviously, it’s going in for me right now and it feels pretty good when the puck’s going in like that,” said Cammalleri, who was acquired from Los Angeles last summer and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. "It definitely adds to the confidence level, and the stick feels pretty comfortable in your hands.”
Cammalleri has a goal and two assists in Calgary’s three games against the Predators this season – all wins.
The Flames, who lost 10 of 13 meetings with Nashville prior to this season, are one victory away from sweeping the season series for the first time in team history. Calgary has scored 15 goals in the teams’ three matchups of 2008-09, winning 7-6 at the Saddledome on Nov. 16.
Flames captain Jarome Iginla had two goals and two assists in that victory, and scored three goals in Calgary’s 5-3 win at Nashville on Oct. 23.
Miikka Kiprusoff, 11-2-0 with a 2.68 goals-against average since Dec. 23, has been in net for each game against the Predators this season. Kiprusoff, the league leader with 29 victories, is 6-1-1 with a 2.98 GAA in his last eight starts versus Nashville.
The Predators (21-23-3) stumbled into the All-Star break, but are hoping to build off an impressive 5-3 win at Vancouver on Wednesday in their first game in nine days.
Nashville totaled eight goals in its final five games before the break, but scored a season-high three power-play goals against the Canucks. The Predators are 2-7-1 on the road since Dec. 8.
"We’ve had meetings after the first half, and the rest of the season after the All-Star break is a new beginning for us, a new start," said goalie Pekka Rinne, who has taken the loss in all three games versus the Flames this season. "We need a fresh start, we need to forget the last month and a half and just stick together.”
Jason Arnott scored his team-leading 16th goal Wednesday. He has three goals and two assists against Calgary this season.
Despite sitting in 14th place in the Western Conference, Nashville is still in the mix for a playoff spot.
"It’s still a long road, but it’s a huge boost for us,” Arnott said.
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Posted: 1/30/09 1:05AM ET
