Three takeaways as Dustin Wolf earns first shutout for Flames

9 hours ago

Calgary Herald

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His finest work against the Predators included a sprawling stop as Steven Stamkos attempted to bury a rebound and a flashed pad to stone Brady Skjei.

Flames - Figure 1 — Photo Calgary Herald

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As Flames head coach Ryan Huska pointed out, Wolf reads the play so well that he’s in typically in prime position and “makes hard saves look relatively easy.”

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“We’re over-the-moon happy for him,” Huska said. “He was so close in his last start and to put in another great effort, it was nice to see him get rewarded with his first shutout.”

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Calgary Flames Daniil Miromanov scores on Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros in third period NHL action at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Friday, November 15, 2024. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia Photo by Darren Makowichuk /DARREN MAKOWICHUK/Postmedia

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MIROMANOV’S MARKER

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After 46-plus minutes of bagels on both sides Friday, Nazem Kadri swiped an offensive-zone draw back to Weegar, who appeared ready to unleash a shot but instead dished to his wide-open defence partner as he snuck toward the bottom of the right circle.

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From there, Miromanov hoisted the puck over Saros’ shoulder for his first snipe of the season.

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“I was standing on the faceoff and I looked at Naz and I said to myself, ‘If he wins this draw, we’re going to score,’ ” Miromanov said. “I mean, that sounds crazy, but that’s exactly what happened.”

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It’s no secret that this 27-year-old Russian has plenty of offensive ability.

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With Miromanov, the biggest question has been whether he is reliable enough to maintain his spot in the Flames’ top-four.

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He has played nearly 90% of his five-on-five minutes this fall alongside Weegar, although he has also been healthy-scratched on a pair of occasions.

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“I think (Miromanov) is getting better over the last little while, since there’s been some consistency with him and MacKenzie. We’ve kept them together for the last number of games,” Huska said. “Early on, I just didn’t think he had impact in the games. He was just kind of there. But now you’re starting to see the way we expect him to play, where he’s getting himself up in the play, he’s using his body in the proper way defensively. So I feel like his game is coming.”

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Weegar, whose monster stat-line Friday included four shots, four blocks, four takeaways, two hits and one assist, figures Miromanov’s icebreaker against the Predators will provide a further boost.

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“At five-on-five, producing a little bit more, that’s something that we’ve kind of talked about,” Weegar said. “Defensively, we’re playing well. But I thought to produce five-on-five and come up clutch with a big win and Miro getting his first of the season, it can go a long way for him and I.”

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THIS WAS UGLY …

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As the Flames are watching Sunday’s Grey Cup game, they could be struck by an idea …

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‘Hang on, you can decline penalties?!?’

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Unlike their friends in football, hockey coaches don’t have that option. But the way the Flames’ power-play has been sputtering over the past few weeks, it would be something to consider.

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During Friday’s middle stanza, the Flames frittered away a golden opportunity to claim a lead — or at least build some momentum — on an extended stretch of five-on-three. Nashville’s Alexandre Carrier had been busted for holding and then Jeremy Lauzon flipped a puck over the glass only three seconds later.

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With lopsided numbers for the next 1:57, the Flames managed just one shot on net. That was Jonathan Huberdeau’s harmless wrister from just inside the blue-line, measured as a 56-footer.