Here's everything you need to know about the Vegas Golden Knights vs Calgary Flames on Thursday, March 14 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.

On paper, Vegas has a team with the potential to win the Cup for the second consecutive campaign, but due in part to injuries, their playoff spot isn't secure. That makes this another important game for the Golden Knights while Calgary looks to play the role of the spoiler.

Let's preview the upcoming contest and offer a Golden Knights vs. Flames pick and prediction.

Vegas will be without Mark Stone (upper body), Alec Martinez (lower body) and recently acquired Tomáš Hertl (knee) on Thursday, but there's still plenty to like about the Golden Knights team that will take the ice.

One player who the Golden Knights have gotten back from injury is blueliner Shea Theodore, and he's been making up for lost time with 12 assists in 10 contests since returning. Vegas' defense will also feature Noah Hanifin, who has 11 goals and 37 points through 64 outings this year and will face the Flames for the first time since being traded from Calgary to Vegas on March 6. It wouldn't be surprising to see Hanifin have a strong showing against his former club.

Up front, Jonathan Marchessault (37 goals and 58 points in 65 contests), Jack Eichel (20 goals and 50 points in 46 appearances) and William Karlsson (23 goals and 45 points in 53 outings) will lead the charge. They'll also be complemented by yet another trade deadline acquisition: Anthony Mantha. Previously with the Washington Capitals, the 29-year-old has 20 goals and 34 points through 59 games this season. Mantha is entering Thursday's action still searching for his first point in a Vegas jersey. He does have a history of success against the Flames, providing six goals and 12 points across 11 career contests, so that does bode well for his chances of ending the slump.

Vegas' big X-Factor comes in net. Adin Hill is having a great campaign with a 17-8-2 record, 2.58 GAA and .917 save percentage in 29 contests, but he's struggled recently, allowing at least three goals in each of his last five games. They might opt to start Logan Thompson, who hasn't played since March 2, but with every point critical for the Golden Knights, it wouldn't be surprising if Vegas continues to lean on its starter even if Hill is going through a rough patch.

Fortunately for Vegas, the Flames aren't in the best position to challenge even a struggling netminder. Calgary has been decent offensively this year with 3.11 goals per game, tied for 16th in the NHL; but with a trip to the playoffs no longer realistic, the Flames have managed just five goals over their last three contests. It doesn't help that the Flames might be without Andrei Kuzmenko (upper body) and Andrew Mangiapane (illness) in addition to the loss of Hanifin via trade.

The biggest potential absence for Calgary, though, would be Jacob Markström. He's been a bright spot for the Flames this campaign with a 22-17-2 record, 2.68 GAA and .910 save percentage in 41 games, but he was a late scratch for Tuesday's contest against Colorado because of a lower-body issue and didn't skate Wednesday. Dan Vladar ended up making the start Tuesday and allowed six goals on 35 shots, dropping him to an 8-9-2 record, 3.61 GAA and .882 save percentage in 20 contests.

If Markström isn't available Thursday, then perhaps Dustin Wolf will get the nod over Vladar, but he hasn't been a great alternative. The 22-year-old Wolf has a 1-3-1 record, 3.70 GAA and .880 save percentage through seven appearances.

This contest will be a difficult one for the Flames regardless of who is in net, but there's no question the absence of Markström would make a bad situation for Calgary significantly worse.

Betting Pick & Prediction

Vegas is betting treated as significant favorites, which is fair, but it does make the potential return for the moneyline a bit too low to appeal to me. So the question then becomes if the Golden Knights are a good bet on the puck line, where they'd have to exceed the 1.5-goal spread.

If Markström gets ruled out of the game, then I think it is a good bet. And since I think the goaltender is likely to miss the contest, Vegas on the puck line will be my recommendation. However, keep an eye on the situation to see if further information about his status emerges during the afternoon.

If Markström is going to get the start, then you should consider taking the Under 6.5 goals instead. In that scenario, we'd likely be in line for a low-scoring affair with the Flames offense floundering and a strong goaltender in net against Vegas' solid, but not fully healthy forward corps.