The Calgary Flames are a team pushing for a playoff spot, and with how tight things are, they cannot afford to go on lengthy losing streaks. They were at risk of dropping a third straight last night but were able to come up with a huge win against one of the NHL’s best in the Winnipeg Jets, defeating them by a 3-1 score.
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This was a gutsy win for the Flames, and a very important one, as it kept them ahead of the Vancouver Canucks, who were also able to pick up two points in a win over the Edmonton Oilers. This was a statement win for this group, as they are proving that their impressive first half of the season was no fluke. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from this huge win.
Wolf With an Outstanding Performance
While the entire Flames group deserves credit for this win, there is zero doubt as to who their best player was. After a bit of a shaky start on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues, Dustin Wolf was given the start once again and proved that the decision was the correct one. He kicked aside 38 of the 39 shots he faced, giving up just one goal early in the third period to Jets forward Adam Lowry.
“It feels good,” Wolf said afterward. “We wanted to bounce back from our last effort. Obviously, we didn’t like our first period, and on a personal level, I didn’t either. To get an opportunity to go back in there and beat a team that’s scored a lot of goals and put up a lot of points in the standings so far to start. This one feels good.”
Wolf is now up to 16 wins through just 25 games this season and is sporting a 2.50 goals-against average (GAA) along with a .917 save percentage (SV%). He still isn’t getting the recognition league-wide that he deserves when it comes to the Calder Trophy, but a few more performances like this going forward will start to garner him a lot more chatter.
Kuzmenko Breaks Lengthy Goal Drought
After sitting as a healthy scratch the past three games, head coach Ryan Huska decided to give Andrei Kuzmenko another look last night. The 28-year-old has had a rough season, as he entered the game with just one goal through 32 games. That goal didn’t come off of a shot, but a deflection, further indicating just how much he’s struggled.
“For me, it [hasn’t been] easy,” Kuzmenko told reporters. “Keep working, it’s not easy for the mentality, up down, up down. It’s not easy, but [if] you keep smiling, keep working. When you play with a good team, great people, great humans, I like it. I enjoy this moment.”
Kuzmenko has been a streaky player throughout his 186-game career, and many believed that he just needed one to get going. He was able to get it against the Jets, beating Eric Comrie clean on a fantastic wrist shot that went post and in. This Flames team could really benefit from him getting hot, and last night’s goal may allow for that to happen.
Kerins’ Strong Start Continues
Flames fans were quite excited when Rory Kerins was recalled just over a week ago from the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League (AHL), but even his biggest supporters couldn’t have envisioned his NHL career getting off to this hot of a start. The 23-year-old was able to log two points in his NHL debut and has remained hot since.
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Kerins had a secondary assist on Kuzmenko’s game-winning goal in the second period. He now has at least a point in three of his first four NHL games, and four points overall. He’s made the most of his opportunity early on and should continue to get an extended look as long as he’s able to continue making contributions.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
Following a stretch that saw them play five games in eight days, the Flames will now return home to a well-deserved four-day break. Their next game will come on Thursday night at the Saddledome versus the Buffalo Sabres, before heading out on the road once again to take on the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. They’ll have another tilt against the Jets on Sunday.
