The Calgary Flames enter the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament three points outside the playoff picture. It’s disappointing, given how well they were playing heading into February, but a recent skid has them behind the Vancouver Canucks.
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You wouldn’t have found many, if anyone, predicting the Flames would remain in the playoff hunt at this point in the schedule. The roster has found a way to rack up wins despite an overall lack of talent, and while he’s not the sole reason, Dustin Wolf has played a huge part in Calgary’s success.
The 23-year-old has exceeded all expectations in his rookie campaign, compiling a 2.63 goals-against average (GAA) and a .912 save percentage (SV%) through 33 games. More impressive is his record of 19-11-3 – he’s won 19 of the Flames’ 26 victories to date. That said, some recent signs have indicated that he might be tiring out.
Wolf Has Hit a Wall
Before this month, it was hard to point out many off performances from Wolf this season. There was a start or two when he clearly wasn’t at his best, but he still managed to battle enough to put up a respectable performance. Now, however, he appears to be in his first rut of the 2024-25 season.
Wolf is on a four-game losing streak, a stretch in which he’s allowed 14 goals on a combined 115 shots for a .878 SV%. In the second of the four losses, he allowed five goals on 29 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the third, he gave up four goals on 34 shots to the Colorado Avalanche.
It looked like Wolf would snap out of his brief funk on Saturday night when the Flames held a 2-0 lead over the Seattle Kraken with just seven minutes remaining. However, the Kraken managed two goals in just over two minutes to force overtime and won the contest on a power-play goal from Matty Beniers.
Wolf’s slump isn’t surprising. After playing in an evenly split tandem with Dan Vladar for much of the season, he has taken over the number-one role. Since the Christmas break, he’s started 16 of 22 games. That’s a lot to ask of a rookie, and it’s starting to wear on him.
Along with his .878 SV% over his last four starts, Wolf also has a 3.55 GAA. The slump hasn’t hurt his season totals a lot, but it has prevented him from making the one or two jaw-dropping saves he was making just a few weeks ago. It’s also not surprising that the Flames have slid down the standings as a result.
4 Nations Break Will Benefit Wolf
The break in the NHL schedule is perfect for Wolf, giving him nearly two weeks of rest that he clearly needs. He should be refreshed by the time the Flames are back in action, though it suggests that head coach Ryan Huska should utilize Vladar a bit more going forward to avoid burning out his young star.
Though Vladar hasn’t had a great season, his most recent start against the Kraken on Feb. 2 should give the organization enough confidence to use him more often. In that outing, he kicked aside 29 of the 31 shots in a 3-2 victory.
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After the break, the Flames might be better off returning to the rotation they used to begin the season, where Wolf took on the tougher tasks, and Vladar was assigned starts versus weaker competition. That will help their young goalie from tiring out and keep him fresher for a potential playoff run.
