Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames Picks and Prediction for Thursday October 22 2026
Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames Game Information
The Minnesota Wild will head to Calgary, Alberta, Thursday night for a Western Conference matchup against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. The game is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET. Minnesota comes into Thursday night 6-2-2 this season and has won three of the last five following a one-goal overtime loss to Edmonton in their last outing. The Calgary Flames are struggling this year, 2-6 overall, following a one-goal victory against Carolina in their last game. Minnesota is a -180 road favorite Thursday. Calgary is a +160, and the total is 5.5. For more NHL news, see our NHL Picks.
Minnesota looks to bounce back
The Minnesota offense has been solid this season, averaging 3.1 goals on 29.8 shots. Defensively, Minnesota has held their own as well, allowing 2.5 goals on 26.1 shots, but they've allowed nine goals across their last two losses. Kirill Kaprizov is leading the Minnesota offense this season with 17 points and eleven goals. Quinn Hughes is second on the team with 13 points, and he leads the team with 11 assists. Matt Boldy is third on the roster with 9 points this season.
Jesper Wallstedt struggled on the net for Minnesota last time out, giving up four goals on 32 shots to post an .875 save percentage in just over 63.5 minutes. Kirill Kaprizov led the charge for the Minnesota offense with one goal and one assist. Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman both chipped in, scoring one goal each.
Calgary hunts 2 in a row
The Calgary Flames offense is averaging just 2.1 three goals on 30 shots per game this season. Defensively, Calgary has been terrible, allowing 4.63 goals and 29.6 shots, and they've allowed seventeen goals across their last three losses. Morgan Frost is leading the Kyrie offense this season with five points and three goals. Matt Coronado and Joel Farabee are both tied for the top spot, having scored five points as well, and Farabee leads the team with five assists.
Devin Cooley did the work on the net for Calgary in their last outing, giving up two goals on 36 shots to post a .944 save percentage. Morgan Frost led the team with one goal and one assist. Matvei Gridin and Yegor Sharangovich Chipped in as well with one goal each.
Key Injury Report for Minnesota:
- Olli Maatta (Out) – Oct 27
- Jared Spurgeon (IR) – Oct 27
- Filip Gustavsson (IR-LT) – Nov 19
- Marcus Foligno (IR) – Oct 29
- Nick Foligno (IR) – Oct 29
Key Injury Report for Calgary:
- Mikael Backlund (Day-To-Day) _Oct 22
- Samuel Honzek (IR) – Oct 28
- Jonathan Jonathan Huberdeau (IR) – Nov 2
Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames Picks and Prediction
Pick: Minnesota Wild -180
Minnesota should have an advantage offensively if it can create opportunities for Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy throughout Thursday night's matchup. The Wild have the ability to generate scoring chances through quick puck movement and can make things difficult for opponents when their top offensive players find space in dangerous areas. Calgary will attempt to counter Minnesota's offensive pressure with physical play and a strong forecheck, but the Flames could have problems if they spend too much time defending in their own zone. Minnesota also has the defensive talent to limit Calgary's opportunities, particularly with Brock Faber helping control play from the blue line. The Flames should be competitive in front of their home crowd, but Minnesota has more than enough offensive weapons to take advantage of Calgary's defensive mistakes. Look for the Wild to produce the necessary goals and come away with a road victory.
Pick: Under 5.5
Calgary will likely need to make this a physical, defensive matchup rather than allow Minnesota's top offensive players to dictate the pace. The Flames can limit scoring opportunities by keeping the Wild along the perimeter and preventing easy chances around the net. Minnesota should also be comfortable playing a controlled game, particularly if it can establish an early lead and force Calgary to work for its scoring opportunities. The Wild have enough defensive talent to prevent the Flames from consistently generating quality chances, while Calgary will need to avoid turnovers that could lead to easy goals in transition. Neither team should benefit from allowing the game to become wide open. Expect a matchup where defensive positioning and goaltending play important roles in keeping the final score below the total.