Flames goaltender makes 31 saves to help Calgary Flames move to 4-0 for first time since 2009

The most effective way to keep a kid like Connor Bedard from doing damage is to keep the puck away from him. The Calgary Flames did a decent job of that in the sophomore superstar's first trip to the Saddledome with the Chicago Blackhawks. 

It's not an easy task. Bedard is almost always around the puck when he's on the ice. Quietly quick, with elite positioning and prognostication to pair with his perfectly positioned stick, Bedard also has a sneaky-as-all-hell shot release. 

Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf got a taste of that early. And he also proved to be the best Bedard repellent in a 3-1 Flames win on Tuesday that keeps the Flames perfect so far this season. They've won four straight to start the year for the first time since 2009-10, and just the third time in franchise history. 

Wolf was a rock, making 31 stops for his second win in as many starts — the Flames outshot in both contests. 

"I felt great. I was seeing it well from early on and I think there’s extra motivation when you see a guy like Bedard over there who is the next big thing," Wolf said post-game. "It’s rewarding to go out there and shut him down."

Bedard had the first great Blackhawks scoring chance in the opening minutes, but Wolf got the Saddledome fans howling when he gloved Bedard's just-over-the-far-pad-attempt. Still eligible for the Calder Trophy this season, Wolf made two more stops on Bedard in the opening 20 minutes alone and seven in total — a career high shots in a game for Bedard.

Those weren't even Wolf's most impressive stops. But with him, it's often tough to pinpoint which are the most challenging. He may be on the smaller side for an NHL starter, but his agility is incomparable and his anticipation is elite, often making things look easy.

A quick lateral cover of the post as Tyler Bertuzzi tried to jam a loose puck past him during a third-period Hawks powerplay, or the way he was instantly set for a rebound after a tough first stop on an in-close shot from the opposite side of the rink are just a couple of examples. 

He got just enough offensive support to pull off the win, with Andrei Kuzmenko tipping in his first on the powerplay in the second period, and  sophomore Matt Coronato adding a pair to open and then close the scoring with an empty netter. 

With about four minutes left in the first period, Coronato scooped the puck off the back boards after deflecting it behind the net, and then swatted it high corner on his second attempt after ramming it into the post on the first. 

The lead lasted 10 seconds before Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno tipped a long shot from Seth Jones past a handcuffed Wolf at the top of the crease. The goal was eerily familiar, looking a lot like the disallowed goal by Corey Perry in Edmonton on Sunday. 

On a night during which most eyes were on Bedard and few Flames gave reason to pay close attention to their accolades, Wolf was a rock again. He's made 68 stops on 72 shots in two games this season in what has been a timeshare with Dan Vladar so far. That's a .944 save percentage. 

We'll see how long that split is even if Wolf continues his impressive play.