CALGARY – Though he simply fell 151 seconds, and fewer than an inch away from making some quite obscure NHL historical past, Dustin Wolf confirmed the identical resilience after the sport as he did in it.
Shedding a bid for his first NHL shutout on a prolonged video assessment that decided his glove save got here simply behind the aim line in a 2-0 recreation late Monday, the Flames netminder discovered levity within the notion the Kings’ spoiler opened the door for a unique milestone — his first game-winning help.
“I didn’t even know that till Huby stated, ‘I believe you let that in so you may be part of the game-winner,’” chuckled the 23-year-old Flames netminder, taking yet one more step ahead as he continues an awesome begin to his first full NHL season.
“It’s fairly cool.”
Advised he’s now simply 47 helpers behind all-time goalie help chief Tom Barrasso, he smiled.
“That’s one,” stated Wolf.
“We’ll see what occurs.”
What appeared like a miraculous glove save whereas sliding throughout the crease to snag a Trevor Moore shot with 2:31 remaining was later deemed a aim after a video assessment.
“I knew it was shut once I dove over, I assumed possibly my glove was near the road,” stated Wolf, speaking about the one shot that beat him of the 30 he confronted.
“From the view on the jumbo it appeared actually tight, so I assumed we would get away with it, however the man stated the cam behind the web form of confirmed it by only a hair.
“Unlucky, particularly once we needed to get again on the kill straight away.”
It was then the teen continued to face tall all through a Kings’ six-on-four man benefit punctuated by a Kevin Rooney empty netter in a 3-1 win.
Wolf got here oh-so-close to changing into the primary NHL goalie in additional than 31 years to document his first NHL help in the identical recreation as his first NHL shutout.
Solely three males have ever completed it, Don Edwards (1977), Steve Penney (1984) and John Blue (1993).
Groaning when listening to the information, he shrugged.
Wolf fell lower than a minute in need of snagging his first NHL shutout within the last recreation of final season.
In each circumstances he nonetheless managed to get the win, one thing he’s completed in 9 of his final 11 begins courting again to final spring.
On Monday he bolstered his season mark to 5-2, behind a Flames membership that admitted en masse that after three-straight sluggish begins on the highway, they lastly pieced collectively a stable opening interval and carried it by way of for what some referred to as their most full recreation of the season.
Outshooting the Kings 7-0 earlier than the guests acquired their first shot on Wolf 11 minutes in, the Flames had been lastly rewarded for his or her tenacity when Mikael Backlund scored halfway by way of the sport.
“He’s nice, I’ve been round him for the final 4 years now and he’s particular,” stated Connor Zary, maybe the Flames’ finest ahead in a recreation by which the Flames supplied up the relentless forecheck their coach has been pushing for from the beginning.
“He’s so good, he’s so fast, and simply the best way he performs the sport and the best way he reads is unbelievable. So, clearly we would like him to maintain doing that.”
The coach was actually hoping the video assessment was going to protect an in any other case good efficiency.
“I hoped that one he may have possibly discovered a method to maintain out as a result of he deserved to not let something get by him the best way he was taking part in tonight,” stated Ryan Huska.
“Actually good effort for him and I assumed he was a man that gave our workforce a variety of confidence in entrance of him tonight.”
Wolf’s newest win comes on a day by which Flames farmhand Devin Cooley was named AHL participant of the week after recording two shutouts together with a 0.64 goals-against common and a .976 save proportion in 4 video games.
Cooley (8-2-0) has allowed one aim or fewer in seven of his first 10 begins this season, has a 1.46 GAA, a .954 save proportion and three shutouts for the Wranglers.
Armed with a one-way contract subsequent 12 months, it units the stage for a really robust commerce deadline choice for the membership because it debates the deserves of re-signing or buying and selling Dan Vladar.
It wasn’t all excellent news for the Flames Monday, who introduced earlier within the day Anthony Mantha could have surgical procedure to restore a torn ACL, suffered final Tuesday in Montreal.
It’s a troublesome break for the 30-year-old winger who’s on a one-year, “show-me” contract with the Flames, signed with a watch on serving to Huberdeau elevate his recreation.
He had 4 targets and 7 factors in 13 video games.
The Flames referred to as up Adam Klapka to be their 13th ahead Monday.
