Flames Takeaways: This is Dustin Wolf’s team now

It was the kind of project Dustin Wolf wasn’t usually given within the first half of the season.

Sheltered from lots of the hardest begins by Dan Vladar, the Flames wished to take a gradual and regular strategy because the 23-year-old Wolf acclimated to the NHL.

Effectively, the guard rails are off, and it’s his crew now.

Thrust right into a Saturday evening highway tilt in a hostile barn hosted by the west’s finest Jets, Wolf stole the present and two factors.

Dealing with a Winnipeg squad that leads the league in objectives, dwelling wins and had simply two regulation losses in its final 12 outings, Wolf made a season-high 38 saves in a 3-1 win few noticed coming.

Making his sixth begin within the crew’s final seven video games, Wolf has accomplished what he got down to do originally of the season: show he’s able to take over as this franchise’s greatest constructing block.

Having handed each check thrown his manner all through his ascension from seventh-round decide to a Calder Trophy frontrunner, it’s clear he’s able to be the one to spearhead the Flames’ unbelievable playoff chase.

He proved it Saturday within the stiffest check he’s confronted thus far.

Due to him, the Flames maintain the ultimate wild-card spot within the west.

At 16-7-2, he supplies the most effective likelihood of staying there.

No extra platooning – he’ll now be the one they faucet for the largest video games shifting ahead.

Rebounding from a begin in St. Louis on Thursday the place he let in one of many few questionable objectives he’s allowed this season, Wolf was spectacular in a primary interval that noticed the Jets swarming. He made a key save on Mark Scheifele late within the second interval of a 1-0 sport and slammed the door on Kyle Connor and Alex Iafallo down the stretch of a 2-1 sport the Flames sealed with an empty-netter.

“This one feels good,” Wolf advised Flames TV after the sport.

“I bought a possibility to go proper again in there and beat the crew that’s scoring a number of objectives and have been placing a number of factors up within the standings up to now. The entire crew might be going to have a cheerful flight dwelling.”

Credit score to the Flames, whose work ethic was spectacular, however this sport was merely stolen by the 23-year-old Wolf. 

Extra takeaways from a shocking win that helped the Flames salvage an in any other case disappointing highway journey:

Kuzmenko shoots … and scores

Climbing down from the press field for the primary time in 4 video games, Andrei Kuzmenko ended a 28-game scoring drought with a stellar power-play end that put the Flames up 2-0 late within the second interval.

It was simply his second objective of the season.

It served as a reminder of simply how irritating it’s that the previous 39-goal scorer hasn’t been ready to make use of his elegant ability to assist a low-scoring crew that so desperately wants his scoring contact.

After Rory Kerins deftly gained the zone and dished off to Blake Coleman, the Russian winger took a crossing move and promptly buried it previous Eric Comrie with a low, short-side snapper that bounced in off the put up.

“Now I can smile,” he mentioned.

“This season is horrible for me, two objectives is just not my stage. It’s not simple, proper. Maintain smile, maintain working, you play with good crew, nice individuals, good people. I like this second. One optimistic second.”

It was Kerins’ fourth help in 4 video games since his call-up, and it was Coleman’s second of three factors, as he assisted on Matt Coronato’s opener earlier than scoring the empty-netter.

It stays to be seen what it would be capable to do for Kuzmenko, who was mobbed by teammates nicely conscious of his irritating journey this season.

It was Rasmus Andersson’s 500^th NHL sport, and Ryan Lomberg’s 300^th.

They performed within the minors collectively, underneath the watchful eye of Ryan Huska, whom they each gave credit score to for serving to them alongside the best way.

Andersson mentioned he and the coach didn’t at all times see eye to eye, however the truth that they celebrated his milestone evening collectively is a testomony to how mutually useful the connection has been.

There have been three modifications to the lineup after consecutive losses in St. Louis, as Joel Hanley gave technique to Daniil Miromanov, whereas Kuzmenko bumped Walker Duehr from the lineup and pushed Jakob Pelletier to the fourth line.

Nevertheless, by evening’s finish Pospisil was demoted to the fourth line and Pelletier elevated to the highest unit in his stead: 

Huberdeau-Kadri-Pospisil 

Coleman-Backlund-Coronato

Kerins-Sharangovich-Kuzmenko