Young goalie impressive as Calgary Flames beat more veteran Seattle Kraken lineup in preseason opener
It was only Game 1 of the Calgary Flames preseason, but Dustin Wolf gave what many hope is a preview of things to come in the crease this season.
Against a much more experienced and talented group, the Flames got everything they needed from Wolf to make sure what looked like a lopsided matchup on paper was anything but. In fact, it was the Flames who tilted the ice in a 6-1 win over the Kraken in Seattle.
Again, it was just the rust-knocking opener. However, if Wolf can do the same for a Flames team that is going to be outmatched on paper pretty frequently this season, Calgary might be able to surprise some people and push for a playoff spot.
On Sunday, Wolf made 32 saves. The only puck to beat him was a heavy one-timer from Nathan Villeneuve that Wolf didn't have much of a shot at stopping.
"When we did kind of cave a little bit, Dustin did make some saves for us tonight," Flames head coach told reporters in Seattle after the contest.
The Kraken sent a few pucks his way early, but Wolf quickly settled in and looked like the calm, athletic and positionally sound netminder we've seen overcome huge obstacles at every level he's advanced to.
He has yet to prove he can do the same in the NHL, but he's going to get his opportunity this year. Wolf will have to get comfortable with the idea of being frequently outshot, and may have to be the best player on the ice for the Flames more often than not for them to rack up some wins.
In the Calgary Flames goaltending battle, Wolf faces a healthy and hungry Dan Vladar, who's coming off hip surgery, and an intriguing prospect in Devin Cooley. Vladar has more experience, but Wolf has been so impressive in the American Hockey League that many believe his ceiling is higher than the other options in Calgary.
We'll see how things shake out in the coming weeks, but Wolf definitely got his 2024-25 season of to a nice start.