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Each single younger participant goes to have nights like Dustin Wolf had on Thursday.
Nights the place you simply don’t fairly have your A-game.
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The Calgary Flames have introduced up a number of younger gamers this season from the AHL, and even guys who shortly established themselves as difference-makers have had off-games.
However when a Connor Zary or a Martin Pospisil isn’t at their finest, it goes slightly extra under-the-radar than it does when Wolf has a nasty sport.
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That’s the character of the goaltending place.
Errors are amplified. The highlight burns vibrant.
On Thursday evening in opposition to the San Jose Sharks, Wolf stopped solely 24 of the 30 pictures he confronted. There have been a couple of that weren’t his fault and a pair he’d wish to have again.
They’re not all going to be good nights, and Thursday was a kind of Wolf would certainly like to overlook.
Besides he received’t overlook it. That’s not in Wolf’s nature.
As a substitute, the purpose is to be taught from it. That’s what the Flames need from him.
“I feel ‘tough’ is an effective option to put it,” Wolf mentioned post-game. “It’s a kind of the place you make some saves and subsequent factor you already know a pair are in your internet and a pair bounces don’t go your method.
“That’s the character of hockey {and professional} hockey. It’s a tough league to play in. (The loss) sucks, however it’s a fantastic alternative to return and look and see some fixes and go from there.”
There received’t be any piling-on of Wolf right here.
The 22-year-old didn’t play nice on Thursday evening, however once more, that’s a part of the method for younger gamers and younger goalies specifically.
No person must be anticipating him to show away pucks within the NHL the way in which he has within the AHL, the place he was named the league’s high goalie in back-to-back seasons and was MVP final 12 months.
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Wolf’s been an all-star this season with the Wranglers, too, posting a 2.25 goals-against-average and a .927 save proportion.
It’s solely a matter of time earlier than he’s with the Flames full-time, and one unhealthy efficiency in a sport the place none of his teammates appeared particularly sharp both isn’t going to vary that.
“It’s a lesson, I suppose, that he’s acquired to discover a method,” mentioned Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “He’s good that method, he’ll flush it and transfer on from it. There’s sure issues that he’ll take from it and ensure he’s higher his subsequent begin.”
That’s, unquestionably, a very powerful factor.
Whereas he allowed six targets in opposition to the Sharks, he may hardly be faulted for a couple of of them.
Turnovers by MacKenzie Weegar and Noah Hanifin within the Flames zone led on to Sharks targets within the second interval. A particularly bizarre deflection off Filip Zadina’s stick noticed the puck bounce excessive above Wolf’s head and in.
And there was a little bit of unhealthy luck in Luke Kunin’s purpose, too.
“The primary two, the primary one I type of caught an edge and the second they make a superb play off a turnover,” Wolf mentioned. “The third one I simply type of missed my put up and (Chris Tanev) tried to place it again into me for a whistle and you may get away with that within the American League.
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“I wasn’t tremendous happy with the targets within the third and people are the instances the place you’ll want to make a pair saves to present the group some life.”
Wolf didn’t make these saves on Thursday evening, however he’s nonetheless a participant who’s within the growth stage of his profession. The expectation is he’ll be taught from his errors after which get to work fixing them.
And discuss to anybody across the Flames group and also you’ll hear the identical factor: Wolf’s work ethic is unmatched.
So Thursday evening was what it was. A tricky sport from a participant who will certainly have many higher nights forward of him in a Flames uniform.
There have been quite a lot of veterans with much more expertise who performed poorly for the Flames in opposition to the Sharks on Thursday. That’s much more of a priority than a younger goalie having a disappointing begin.
“You at all times need to come out and play the easiest you possibly can,” Wolf mentioned. “I didn’t count on to play at this time, however tremendous completely satisfied I acquired to and clearly unlucky for the result. However these are video games and days that you simply look again on they usually suck, however on the identical time it’s a fantastic alternative to judge your self as a participant and an individual and are available again stronger.”
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