CALGARY — Staring up on the Jumbotron like everybody else in attendance, Dustin Wolf was curious as to how he did it.
How he managed to make the perfect of his 26 saves whereas mendacity on his abdomen, kicking up his leg in desperation as Marcus Johansson redirected a Mats Zuccarello cross at Wolf’s doorstep.
“Nicely, I assumed I used to be s— out of luck when he made the primary cross,” admitted the Calgary Flames netminder with a smile.
“Simply obtained some bounces tonight. It hit me, and Naz(em Kadri) made a pleasant play along with his follow (bat) it out of there. That is hockey. Typically bounces go your approach. Typically they do not. And fortunately, we obtained a pair to go our approach tonight.”
A 4-1 Flames win over the scorching Minnesota Wild Thursday night time got here eight days after Wolf final noticed motion, when he was pulled lower than six minutes right into a forgettable begin in Tampa, the place he allowed three of the primary 4 pictures.
Giving approach to Devin Cooley for 3 straight begins, in a stretch that noticed the backup play six of seven, the hockey world puzzled how the Flames’ franchise netminder felt about sitting that lengthy.
“It’s what it’s — Cools has been enjoying excellent, and I’ll help him in any approach potential I can,” stated Wolf, who out of the blue won’t must play upwards of 64 video games this yr.
“Once I get the faucet on the shoulder to play, I’ll do every part I can to be prepared.
“No, you by no means wish to be pulled. However you sort of use it as a watch opener and discover issues to work on, and simply get again to enjoying hockey, the sport you like.”
Higher query: how powerful was it having to stew over what was the worst outing of his profession?
“S— occurs,” he shrugged.
“That is the sport of hockey. I imply, you’ll be able to’t let something hassle you about that.
“You’ll be able to’t change what’s occurred now, you’ll be able to solely sit up for the subsequent alternative, and being ready for that. And now this one’s behind us, we obtained two factors, and now we prepare for Saturday.”
No extra guessing who’s getting the beginning that night time in opposition to Utah.
Bouncing again the way in which he has all through his younger profession, Wolf was significantly sharp early on Thursday, backstopping the Flames to a scoreless tie after a primary interval that noticed him and his Flames kill off 4 high-sticking penalties.
The one shot to beat him got here late within the second interval when a Zach Bogosian level shot bounced off the stick of Adam Klapka, then Yakov Trenin, earlier than tying the sport 1-1.
Third-period objectives by Connor Zary, Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson (into an empty web) broke open a decent, entertaining recreation, ending the Wild’s 12-game level streak.
Following up a protracted highway journey with their most full effort of the yr, the Flames kicked off their first of 9 dwelling video games this month with an actual confidence builder.
On an evening that featured loads of discuss concerning the league’s hottest goaltending duo of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, Wolf modified the narrative with the kind of bounce-back effort most may have predicted.
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“I feel it simply perhaps reveals the aggressive facet of the participant once more,” stated Flames coach Ryan Huska, whose determination to begin Cooley for 3 straight sparked delicate debate on the town.
“I feel the time on the highway gave (Wolf) a possibility to dial some elements of his recreation in just a little bit with (goalie coach) Jason (LaBarbera.) And I feel he did an excellent job of that. The final day or two of it, you might inform he was just a little fiery, and he needed to get again within the web once more, which is a superb signal.
“As I stated this morning, I feel when you have got two goaltenders which are enjoying effectively, they feed off of one another. That is what Minnesota has had with their guys, and our perception is that we’ll get that approach with ours.”
The Wild’s tandem is so dominant, they’ve now began to easily rotate the 2.
Don’t anticipate an identical method from Huska, who determined to journey the surprisingly sizzling hand of his backup in a trend he doubtless by no means thought potential, given Cooley’s shaky pre-season and restricted NHL expertise.
“(Cooley) served discover that he is greater than able to stepping in and enjoying video games, and I feel that at all times makes the companion higher,” stated Huska, who was requested earlier within the day if, in hindsight, he perhaps rode Wolf just a little too laborious to begin the season.
“I do not suppose so. The one recreation perhaps that I might second-guess myself, was the sport in Vancouver (the second recreation) of the yr. That might in all probability be about it.”
In any other case, no regrets, which is sort of as comforting as having two viable choices each night time you face off.
