Carolina Hurricanes vs Calgary Flames Picks and Predictions for Sunday, October 18th, 2026
The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Calgary Flames on Sunday at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. The game is scheduled to start at 8:00 pm ET. Carolina is off to a strong start,t at 6-1-1, which is 1st in the Metropolitan Division. Calgary is just the opposite, at 1-6-0 and last in the Pacific Division. The Hurricanes have won each of the last five games, which includes a 4-2 victory over Washington in their most recent game. Calgary has lost four of its past five games. The Flames lost to Vegas 6-2 last time out. Cash in a winner with our free NHL picks.
Carolina Hurricanes Have Won Five Straight
Carolina defeated Washington 4-2 on Tuesday, after wins over Philadelphia, Chicago, Vancouver and Montreal. The Hurricanes score an average of 3.88 goals per game on 32.3 shots, while allowing just 2.38 goals per game on 21.5 shots. Carolina has scored four goals or more in each of the past five games. The power play scores 22.9% of the time, while the penalty kill has held opponents scoreless 93.3% of the time.
Sebastian Aho leads Carolina in points with 13, on a team-best six goals and seven assists. Andrei Svechnikov also has six goals and is second in points with 11. Jackson Blake has eight points, including seven assists. Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is 4-0-0 with a .911 save percentage and 1.73 goals-against average. Brandon Bussi is 2-1-1 with a .871 SV% and 2.95 GAA.
Injuries: Taylor Hall, Seth Jarvis, Jordan Staal and Alexander Nikishin are out.
Calgary Flames Continue to Struggle Defensively
Calgary lost to Vegas 6-2 on Thursday, following a 4-2 victory over Anaheim. The Flames have been victorious just once in their first seven games and are 0-3-0 at home. Calgary scores an average of 2.00 goals per game on 29.4 shots, while allowing 5.00 goals per game on 28.7 shots. Calgary has allowed four goals or more in each of the past five games. The power play scores 20.0% of the time, while the penalty kill is successful 80.0% of the time.
Matt Coronato and Joel Farabee lead Calgary in points with four each. Coronato has a team-best two goals, while Farabee has four assists to lead the Flames. Morgan Frost and Aydar Suniev have also scored a pair of goals each. Goalie Dustin Wolf is 1-4-0 with a .834 save percentage and 4.85 goals-against average. Devin Cooley is 0-2-0 with a .818 SV% and 5.01 GAA.
Injuries: Samuel Honzek and Jonathan Huberdeau are out.
Key To The Game
Carolina scores 1.88 more goals per game than Calgary and allows 2.62 fewer. The Hurricanes are also 4-0-0 on the road, while the Flames have yet to win at home. Carolina has the advantage in goaltending and special teams.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Calgary Flames Pick
- Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina has won five straight games and is 4-0-0 on the road, while Calgary has lost six of its first seven games. The Hurricanes score 3.88 goals per game and allow just 2.38, compared to 2.00 scored and 5.00 allowed by the Flames. Aho and Svechnikov have six goals each, and Kochetkov is unbeaten in four appearances. Carolina has the stronger offense, defense and goaltending heading into Sunday's road game.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Calgary Flames Over/Under Pick
- Over
Calgary has allowed four goals or more in each of its past five games, including six against Vegas last time out. Carolina has scored at least four goals in five straight games, putting 26 on the board during that stretch. The Flames have also scored twice or more in four of their past five outings. Carolina's recent scoring and Calgary's defensive problems make a higher-scoring game likely on Sunday night.