The Calgary Flames did what they had to do. In what was essentially a must-win game, the Flames were able to erase a two-goal deficit to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights by a 5-4 shootout final. It was once again a strong show of resiliency for a team that defied all expectations in a massive way this season.
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The Flames had plenty of contributors in this one, with 10 players recording at least one point, while Nazem Kadri and Matt Coronato led the way with two points on the evening. It’s worth mentioning that the Golden Knights chose to rest several of their top stars in this one, though it doesn’t take away from what was a valiant effort from the Flames. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from last night’s game.
Flames Officially Eliminated From Playoff Contention
As big of a win as it was, it wasn’t enough to keep the Flames alive in the playoff race. The St. Louis Blues took care of business with a 6-1 thumping of the Utah Hockey Club. Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks appeared to have won against the Minnesota Wild, which would have kept the Flames alive. Instead, however, the Wild were able to tie things up with 21 seconds left. The single point earned them a playoff spot, though they were able to cap it off by winning it by a 3-2 overtime final.
This certainly stings for the Flames, as they weren’t able to get help from the two teams they needed to pick up wins. Nonetheless, the fact that they remained in the race for as long as they did is extremely impressive, as many projected them to be a lottery team this season. There are plenty of positives to look forward to in the years to come with this group.
Wolf Shines in Potential Final Start of the Season
What a rookie season it’s been for Dustin Wolf. The 23-year-old has been one of the NHL’s best from start to finish, and he continued it last night. After a bit of a shaky start, he was able to come up huge in the second and third periods, and wound up kicking aside 39 of the 43 shots he faced.
Wolf’s best work came in overtime, where he had several ten-bell saves against a Golden Knights team that was pressing heavily. As if that weren’t enough, he also turned aside all three shots he faced in the shootout to help the Flames secure the win.
This may have been the last start of the season for Wolf, as it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them turn to Dan Vladar in their final game of the season on Thursday. The fact that the Flames missed the playoffs may wind up hurting his Calder Trophy chances, though he will undoubtedly be a finalist, and he appears to be a true superstar in the making.
Flames Fans Give Awesome Ovation
Fans in the building were well aware before this game came to an end that the Flames had been eliminated from playoff contention. Both the Blues and Wild games wrapped up well before the Flames and Golden Knights outing finished, but that didn’t matter to those in the Saddledome. Fans were on their feet throughout the entire overtime, and gave the players a lengthy standing ovation in what was their final game in Calgary this season.
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This was a great reminder of how passionate this fan base is. They are all well aware of the fact that this team exceeded expectations and worked their tails off from start to finish. Though it ended in heartbreak, this was a great reminder to players that Calgary is an excellent and supportive hockey market.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
The Flames have just one game remaining this season, which will take place on Thursday versus the LA Kings. It may not mean a whole lot in terms of the standings, but you can bet this group will continue to battle the entire 60 minutes as they have all season long.
