Stars vs Flames Game 3 Odds and Pick – Aug 14

• The Stars took Game 2 tying their best-of-seven series with the Flames at 1-1
• Jamie Oleksiak scored the winner with 40 seconds to go
• Game 3  goes Friday at 10:30 pm EST; we break down the odds and give our pick

Game 2’s have not been kind to the Calgary Flames.

On Thursday they lost their 11th in a row, as Dallas rebounded from a rough Game 1. Stars forward Tyler Seguin returned to form, and veteran Corey Perry came up big as well.

Now the clock is ticking. The teams have less than 24 hours to prepare as the puck drops at 10:30 pm EST on Friday.

Flames vs Stars Game 3 Odds

Odds as of Aug. 13

Looking back at Game 2, things look awfully similar. And no one is pulling away in this series yet.

The Stars are favored, but the Flames’ hectic comeback is notable. That offensive explosion hasn’t moved the Over/Under off of five though. In terms of the Stars vs Flames odds, the Stars are now favored by the slimmest of margins to win the series.

Seguin Steps Up for Stars in Game 2

Through the round-robin and Game 1 against the Flames, the Stars had been looking for more from Tyler Seguin.

Well, they finally got it.

Tyler Seguin: Playoffs vs Game 2

The Stars’ top line was a different animal with Seguin going at full strength. He got credited with a goal that was given to Alex Radulov and could have had a few others. The line went to work on Miro Heiskanen’s first goal, with Radulov drawing the lone assist.

Tyler Seguin has been noticeable in so many aspects of the game tonight: shooting on the power play, dirty areas around the net, laying hits and a plus-3 rating.

— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) August 14, 2020

That trio created a lot of Dallas’ offense until the Stars finally got something from their supporting cast. The big worry is that Dallas shelved their offense late in the game, content to protect a 4-3 lead.

It nearly came back to bite them, and it could be a habit that costs them the series.

Did Flames’ Top Line Emerge Too Late?

After Game 1 it wasn’t a big deal that the Flames didn’t get much out of their top line. The Dube-Lucic-Bennett line did most of the heavy lifting, which is how you win playoff games.

But it was another quiet night from the Flames first line until that late power-play goal.

Calgary’s Top Line vs Dallas

The three of them were massive against the Jets in the qualifying round. Especially Monahan, who had five points in the final two games.

Desperate to shake things up, the Flames have Bennett on the top line, Lindholm on the third unit. Penalty to Benn gives Flames chance to try turning the tide.

— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) August 14, 2020

But two quiet games put them in the spotlight immediately, and it’ll shine brighter with Matthew Tkachuk’s status unknown.

Do Flames or Stars Have Advantage in Net?

Ahead of Game 1, we were hesitant to assume Ben Bishop was starting. Something was bothering him, and he played just once in the round-robin.

While there were plenty of reasons to like Anton Khudobin in the opener, it was tough to see him being the difference in the series. But Bishop has that ability.

Neither Bishop or Cam Talbot were good on Thursday night. The advantage the Stars have though is that Bishop at least has a pedigree.

Talbot and Bishop putting on a goaltending clinic pic.twitter.com/3eNRLzMaiW

— Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) August 14, 2020

Talbot has let in a handful of soft goals through two games, but David Rittich hasn’t played meaningful hockey since March 8th.

Whoever the Flames go with on Friday, the edge lies with Bishop. But he was to be better.

A Pivotal Game 3 on Short Rest

The Stars came out looking like a completely different team in Game 2. In fact, it was a stronger performance than we expected in Game 1.

On short rest, it makes sense if Game 3 is another high-scoring one. And with Bishop back, and Miro Heiskanen dominating, that should be enough to give Dallas a 2-1 series lead.

The Pick: Dallas Stars (-109), OVER 5 (-141)