Three takeaways as Wolf backstops Flames to (maybe) their best ...

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Calgary Flames Jonathan Huberdeau scores on Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper in second period NHL action at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Monday, November 11, 2024. Photo by Darren Makowichuk /DARREN MAKOWICHUK/Postmedia

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Calgary Flames - Figure 1
Photo Calgary Herald

Dustin Wolf was oh-so-close to his first NHL shutout.

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Millimetres, even.

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With 2:31 left in the third-period, though, a video review denied him of that milestone when it found that a shot off the Los Angeles Kings’ Trevor Moore’s stick had just barely squeezed over the goal-line before the Calgary Flames (8-5-3) shot-stopper batted it away.

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It was the only disappointment of the night for Wolf, who stood on his head to stop 28-of-29 shots and helped backstop his team to a 3-1 win over the Kings (9-5-3).

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“I thought he was awesome tonight,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “I was hoping that one he could maybe find a way to keep out because he deserved to not let anything get by him with the way he was playing tonight.

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“But really good effort from him and I thought he was a guy who gave our team a lot of confidence in front of him tonight.”

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Wolf was sensational on Monday night, coming up with big stops in big moments, including on two breakaways by Kevin Fiala and Anze Kopitar.

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Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf is scored on by Los Angeles Kings Trevor Moore in third period NHL action at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Monday, November 11, 2024. Photo by Darren Makowichuk /DARREN MAKOWICHUK/Postmedia

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He’s been rotating with Dan Vladar as the Flames’ starting goalie so far this season, and both seem to be elevating their games start-by-start. In eight games between the pipes, Wolf has a 2.84 goals-against-average and a .913 save-percentage. There can’t be a single complaint about those numbers.

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Calgary Flames - Figure 2
Photo Calgary Herald

And Monday might have been his best game of the year, so far.

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“He’s special,” said Flames winger Connor Zary, who had a great night himself. “He’s so good, he’s so quick. Just the way he plays the game, the way he reads it is unbelievable.”

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Wolf was far from the only standout for the Flames against the Kings. Monday might have been their most well-rounded, 60-minute performance of the season.

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They dominated early and then goals scored 36 seconds apart by Mikael Backlund and Jonathan Huberdeau gave them a lead they’d never relinquish, with Kevin Rooney adding an empty-netter to seal the deal.

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Wolf, by the way, contributed on the offensive end, too. He delivered the puck to Andre Kuzmenko, who immediately fired a nasty pass down-ice to Huberdeau.

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It was Wolf’s first career NHL assist and it happened to come on the game-winner.

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“I didn’t even know that until Huby said ‘I think you let that (Kings goal) in so you could be part of the game winner’, “ Wolf said with a big grin. “Pretty cool, glad we can get that one.”

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Here’s three takeaways from Monday’s game:

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THAT’S MUCH BETTER

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The Flames were disappointed in the way they’ve been starting games lately and vowed to improve.

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They certainly did that.

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The Kings didn’t register a single shot on net in the first 11:07 of Monday’s game, and the Flames had a few nice opportunities in that stretch.

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They were the better team early and they carried the momentum they built in the first-period into the second frame, where they got the goals they deserved.

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