The Buffalo Sabres travel west to face the Calgary Flames on Monday night at Scotiabank Saddledome. Both clubs enter the game with identical win totals so far. Buffalo sits at 11-13-4, while Calgary is 11-15-4 on the year. Oddsmakers have made this game a pick ’em as both teams look to move closer to the .500 mark for the season. Continue reading to get my analysis for this contest, including my Sabres vs Flames prediction.
Our Sabres vs Flames Pick
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Buffalo Sabres @ Calgary Flames
- Date & Time: Monday, December 8, 2025, 9:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form
Calgary enters this contest riding a two-game winning streak, most recently blanking the Utah Mammoth 2–0. Their last outing featured a strong goaltending performance and timely scoring. They will aim for a third straight win in this contest. On the flip side, Buffalo has struggled away from home with a 2-8-2 road record, and they just suffered a 4–1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on the road despite outshooting the Jets.
Both of these teams are at or near the bottom of their respective divisions. The Sabres are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, while the Flames are in seventh place out of eight teams in the Pacific. Both teams are running out of time to turn their seasons around and need to win games like this one to help their cause.
Goaltending
Calgary’s tandem of goaltenders has looked competent, and it should be Dustin Wolf getting the nod in this game. Wolf has a 2.90 GAA on the season but is trending in the right direction of late. Buffalo’s goaltender for this game is expected to be Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He comes into this contest with an impressive 2.57 GAA, but he is just 4-4-1 in his games this year.
Key skaters
Tage Thompson is the skater to watch for this contest. He leads the Sabres in goals with 12 on the year and has eclipsed 100 shots on goal for the season as well. The Flames don’t have a double-digit goal scorer yet this season. But Nazem Kadri is the driving force behind their attack, as he has a team-high 18 assists entering Monday night.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Tage Thompson | |
| Nazem Kadri |
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Flames beat the Sabres 6-2 in their first meeting of the 2025-26 season in Buffalo.
- The Flames are 18-12 on the puckline going into this matchup with the Sabres.
- The Sabres are 12-15 on the puckline on the year so far.
Sabres vs Flames Model Projection
Final Thoughts
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