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Can The New Look Flames Build on Last Season’s Success?

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The 2022-23 National Hockey League (NHL) season is right around the corner, with preseason fixtures taking place in the next couple of weeks and the new regular season getting underway on October 7, when the San Jose Sharks take on Nashville Predators in the NHL’s first-ever fixtures in Prague, Czech Republic.

After topping the Pacific Division by seven points over the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames fans have high hopes for the coming campaign. Could this be the season the Flames navigate their way to the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2004?

Darryl Sutter guided the Flames to their eighth divisional championship last season. The Flames finished with 50 victories from 82 games and a +85 goal difference; only the Florida Panthers (+94) enjoyed a better goal difference in the entire league.

The Flames went on to defeat the Dallas Stars 4-3 in the first round of the playoffs but came unstuck against the Edmonton Oilers, losing 4-1 in the second round. Despite the disappointment of the playoffs and having a new look roster with several comings and goings, the best betting sites price the Flames as sixth favourites for Stanley Cup glory this season. Can they live up to that billing and build on last year’s relative success?

A Handful of Key Players Lost

Let us start with the outgoing players from last season’s roster. Johnny Gaudreau and Erik Gudbranson left for the Colombus Blue Jackets, while Calle Jarnkrok now turns out for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In addition, Matthew Tkachuk put pen to paper with the Florida Panthers. Gaudreau is the most significant loss from that quartet, mainly as the winger contributed an impressive 115 regular season points in addition to 14 more during the short playoffs run.

Everyone at the club wanted Gaudreau to stay as a Flame, and the club offered him a monetary package that would have seen him become one of the highest-paid players in the NHL, but the desire to move closer to his family proved too strong, and Gaudreau left for the Colombus Blue Jackets. Gaudreau signed a seven-year deal with $68.25 million.

Tkachuk is another significant blow to the Flames’ roster. He scored 42 goals and 104 points during the successful regular season last year. Tkachuk refused to sign a new long-term deal with the Flames and was traded to the Panthers with a conditional fourth-round in 2025
in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, Cole Schwindt, and MacKenzie Weegar.

Major Signings Incoming

Losing the players mentioned above would hurt any roster in the NHL, but the backroom management staff worked hard behind the scenes to ensure the Flames are still a force to be reckoned with in 2022-23.

Bringing in Huberdau is a masterstroke. The 29-year-old left winger is a former third overall draft pick who has played more than 670 professional regular season games and is two goals shy of breaking through the 200 barrier. The 2022 NHL All-Star averages almost a point per game and was exceptional last year with 115 points on the board, thanks to 85 assists.

Former Maples Leafs and Avalanche center Nazem Kadri is another shrewd signing; Kadri was instrumental in the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup victory in 2022.

How Will The Flames Fare in 2022-23?

Everything points towards another exciting season for Flames fans. In Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vlader, the Flames have excellent goaltenders. Markstrom, in particular, is coming off the back of a career-best season. A solid defensive pairing of Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson should see the Flames remain tough to beat; the Flames had the third-best goals against last year.

The probably starting forward line of Huberdeau, Elias Lindholm, and Tyler Toffoli will need to hit the ground running in this new-look Flames team. Still, even the second line of Dylan Dube, Kadri, and Andrew Mangiapane is enough to cause any NHL opponent plenty of problems.

The Flames should reach the playoffs relatively easily; it is anyone’s game from there. Flames fans have every right to be excited about the upcoming season.

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Varieties of cricket betting

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Cricket rivals soccer in popularity, and is only slightly inferior to it. This national English sport is especially popular in the homeland, as well as in the former English colonies. Cricket bet is no more complicated than betting on other sports, especially since the legal betting company Pari Match offers a wide range of lines, where everyone can find an event to his liking. There are a huge number of different cricket championships and leagues. In general, in terms of the number of rules and their diversity, cricket ranks first in the world.

A little about the discipline

Cricket is a team non-contact game using a ball and bat. The aim of the match is to score more points, or runs, than the opponent. Athletes use a leather-covered cork ball and wooden bats. Clubs alternate between serving and batting sides. The athletes of the attacking team take the field in full and play against 2 opposing batsmen who take the pitching positions.

The pitcher of the fielding team delivers a throw from the outfield to the opposite side of the field to the opposing batsman. The fielders use any available means to catch the batted ball and earn points. After 6 innings, a bowler change is executed, and a new over begins.

Types of cricket betting at Сanada Parimatch

You can place a bet by selecting one of these categories:

  1. On the outcome. Tier 1 cricket includes matches that can result in draws, leading to a three-way outcome in Test matches. Draws don’t happen as often as in soccer, but still the probability is relatively high and comparable to hockey. In the one-day and Twenty20 format, bookmakers offer 2 way outcomes with no possibility of a draw.
  2. Double chance is akin to outcome betting, with the distinction that it allows the consolidation of two potential outcomes at reduced odds. For instance, this could involve predicting the absence of a draw or ensuring that at least one of the teams will not face a loss.
  3. On a handicap. You can make a prediction here on the advantage that the team will win or the disadvantage that the opponent will face. For instance, in test matches between strong teams, it is common to predict a forfeit (0).
  4. Totals. Betting on the number of runs per match or for a particular segment – after 5, 10, 15 overs and so on. These figures can encompass both overall totals and specific totals for each team.
  5. Player statistics. In top-level cricket, there are typically a sufficient number of opportunities for personal player achievements. There are a variety of indicators: the number of runs or 6-point knocks, various titles at the end of the match – the best batsman or the best player of the meeting.

Cricket is rich in different statistical indicators and secondary events. It will not be difficult to find Pari Match quotes on the number of runs or the best score of the first partnership in the lines for big matches.

It’s worth noting that in cricket, there are some interesting specific events that you can place bets on. For instance, the “Mendis over” is an exceptional situation where a batsman, usually in the middle of the match, makes only one hit but scores the maximum number of points – 36. Such a rare moment can make your bet exceptionally profitable, as these stories are remembered for a long time.

Additionally, you can test your luck in betting on individual player achievements, such as the “Golden Batsman” – determining the player who hits the most sixes (shots beyond the boundary for 6 points) in the tournament. This can be an exciting aspect of betting, as watching a player make spectacular hits is always interesting.

In a unique way, cricket also serves as a platform for the most sophisticated strategies. For example, bets on the “big three” allow you to determine the three best teams in the tournament, which can be challenging to predict, but if you guess correctly, you are guaranteed a significant win. These diverse opportunities make cricket an excellent arena for bets that combine expertise and luck.

 

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Why Bill S-268 Could Bring Real Changes for Indigenous Peoples and Gaming in Canada

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The latest installment in the story of legal gaming and betting in Canada happened on June 20, 2023, when Bill S-268 had its first reading. If the Bill passes, it will bring big changes for Indigenous peoples in the country and their involvement in the Canadian legal gaming landscape.

This happening follows other major changes to iGaming and sports betting in Canada. In April 2022, Ontario became the first Canadian province to launch a regulated iGaming market. This launch followed the legalization of single-event sports betting the previous year. Now, players can enjoy games and sports betting at Ontario online casinos that are registered and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario or (AGCO). These big changes in Ontario are now being followed by Bill S-268.

What is Bill S-268?

The Bill was put forward by Senator Scott Tannas and intends to amend the Criminal Code of Canada in terms of the legality of lottery schemes in the country. If the Bill progresses, the First Nation will be permitted to license and manage lottery schemes on its reserve. They will have sole responsibility for operating such lotteries as long as they notify the Canadian Government and the provincial government of the intention to do so. In addition, the content of the Bill refers to amending the Indian Act to allow the council of the band authority to create bylaws concerning the operation and management of proposed lotteries.

How the Bill will change iGaming in Canada

The current laws concerning iGaming in Canada state that it’s illegal in the country. However, Section 207 of the Criminal Code of Canada allows provincial governments to conduct and manage iGaming within their own province. This ruling means that any lottery schemes in the country must be operated by a provincial government.

If Bill S-268 passes, it will change the status quo by removing the effective monopoly that provincial governments have on the conducting and management of lotteries. The preamble for the Bill refers to the changes being part of the recognition of the Inherent and Treaty rights of Indigenous Peoples. This means that the Bill is not about bringing new rights for Indigenous Peoples but seeks to confirm the rights they already have.

The future of iGaming in Canada will be significantly changed by Bill S-268 if it passes. It will help to further the reconciliation between Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. Plus, it will enable Indigenous Peoples to have full control of their own lotteries. This means they will make more money from operating lotteries which will bring financial benefits to them and further the recognition of their rights.

It remains to be seen whether the Bill will pass, but there is support for it, especially within Indigenous communities. There is also a certain amount of resistance from provincial governments that are wary of their dominance in iGaming being diluted. Now that the first reading of the Bill is complete, there will be much interest concerning its progression.

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