Dustin Wolf Finds Redemption in Latest Flames’ Win Over Kraken

For Dustin Wolf, Friday night’s 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken was an important one.

The Calgary Flames netminder turned aside 20 of 22 shots, earning his second win of the season and, more importantly, putting together a composed performance after a difficult stretch against Seattle.

Wolf had allowed 12 goals over his previous two starts against the Kraken, surrendering six in each outing. Friday offered an opportunity to put those performances behind him, and he delivered.

He looked comfortable in the crease, controlled his rebounds, played his angles well and came up with several important saves when called upon. It was the kind of steady performance that can help rebuild confidence, particularly after a challenging start to the season.

Wolf said he felt good about his game following the win.

“Felt pretty good,” Wolf said postgame. “I mean, it’s been a long time off (between) starts, so just getting back into it and feeling good about my game, and my emphasis tonight was, as Cooley says, not to think. And as simple as that sounds, it’s not as easy.”

Wolf was referring to the goaltending philosophy of his teammate Devin Cooley, who has talked about the importance of playing instinctively and allowing the game to come naturally rather than overthinking every movement.

It appears that approach has started to rub off on Wolf.

The 25-year-old had gone nearly two weeks between starts, an unusual stretch for a team’s starting goaltender. However, with Cooley suffering an injury against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, Wolf got the opportunity to return to the crease and make the most of it.

The time away from game action wasn’t wasted.

Wolf continued working on his game behind the scenes, focusing on areas that needed improvement and making the most of the additional practice time.

“I came in every day and skated and worked,” Wolf explained. “We worked tirelessly on areas of my game that I think needed some improvement or maybe just some touch ups. You don’t normally get those opportunities in the season. It certainly wasn’t the start to the season that I wanted, but now we move forward and just focus on the next one.”

That next opportunity could come quickly.

The Flames are back in action Saturday night against the Colorado Avalanche, a much different challenge with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and company waiting on the other side.

If Wolf gets the start - unless recently recalled Arsenii Sergeev gets the nod - it will be another important opportunity to build on Friday’s performance and show what he can bring to Calgary’s crease.

One win doesn’t erase a difficult start, but it was a step in the right direction for Wolf.