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It was a cheerful homecoming for Dustin Wolf.
Lastly within the blue paint, and within the highlight, within the constructing the place he first dreamed of a future as an NHL netminder, Wolf backstopped the Calgary Flames to Tuesday’s 3-2 time beyond regulation victory at SAP Heart in San Jose.
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Many had been describing this as a meaningless affair — in any case, each the Flames and Sharks are enjoying out the string as non-playoff squads — however it actually didn’t really feel that manner for the 22-year-old Wolf.
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Whereas this was formally the primary highway victory of his big-league profession, it was extra of a house sport.
His grandmother, aunt and uncle had been amongst these in attendance. His mother and father had been glued to the motion from the Seattle space, and he might really feel his late grandfather, Ron, “trying down on us.”
“It means the world to me,” Wolf beamed throughout a post-game interview on Sportsnet. “It’s a dream come true to have the ability to participate in a sport right here. And hopefully many extra.”
It didn’t begin all that dreamy Thursday for the masked man from close by Morgan Hill, Calif.
Sharks ahead William Eklund slipped behind the defence and capitalized on a slick deke to his backhand, after which Jacob MacDonald doubled the lead after the Flames botched a breakout try.
Rasmus Andersson began the comeback by scoring on the finish of an prolonged second-period shift — a kind of sequences the place No. 4 appears to be completely all over the place within the offensive zone — and Nazem Kadri notched the equalizer on the power-play.
Andrei Kuzmenko drained the time beyond regulation winner throughout a chaotic scramble across the Sharks’ crease, one more man-advantage marker for Calgary’s all of a sudden scorching special-teams unit.
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Wolf completed with 20 saves. The most effective of ’em got here with six ticks left within the center body, when he flashed his glove to rob Justin Bailey on a close-range re-direct.
The Flames’ goalie-of-the-future now owns a 4-7-1 document in a dozen begins this season on the high stage.
“They look after one another, that’s the factor, so that they know when there’s an vital evening for somebody — and this was one, for certain, for Wolfie,” stated Flames head coach Ryan Huska throughout his post-game scrum in San Jose. “I assumed he was good tonight. He didn’t get plenty of work within the second or third interval, which I used to be proud of. However I assumed when he needed to make some saves, he did job. He appeared calm and composed tonight.”
And when he appeared round, he might spot his family members within the stands.
“There was not an excessive amount of pink within the crowd, so it was fairly simple to search out them,” Wolf instructed reporters in San Jose. “Coming house is at all times tremendous pleasurable, however the purpose on the journey is to get wins. And to get a win in entrance of my household, it’s fairly particular.”
AROUND THE BOARDS
Filed below where-was-this-a-few-months-ago, the Flames’ power-play is on a 10-for-22 tear throughout a six-game spree. “And so they’re essential targets in these hockey video games,” Kadri instructed media in San Jose … Kuzmenko is on a six-game streak of his personal, with 11 factors over an outstanding stretch … Simply recalled from the minors and showing in his first NHL sport since December, rookie defenceman Ilya Solovyov made his presence identified with three pictures on internet, three hits and a gutsy block on Mike Hoffman on the penalty-kill. After Huska talked about the highest precedence for the 23-year-old Solovyov must be “ first cross,” his most spectacular play was arguably a bank-off-the-boards outlet that sprung Jonathan Huberdeau and Andrew Mangiapane on a two-on-one rush. Huberdeau clanked the put up … Nikita Okhotiuk was shipped from San Jose to Calgary on trade-deadline day. With a secondary help on Andersson’s marker, the Russian rearguard earned his first level in seven appearances to this point within the Flaming C brand. On the not-so-positive facet, the 23-year-old Okhotiuk was burned on a foul pinch on Eklund’s early strike.
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OFF THE GLASS
Oliver Kylington missed Tuesday’s showdown with the Sharks due an upper-body harm … The Flames, now with 5 video games to go, proceed this California road-trip with Thursday’s conflict towards the Kings in Los Angeles (8:30 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan) … Three members of Calgary’s newest draft class — first-round choose Sam Honzek, second-rounder Etienne Morin and fourth-rounder Jaden Lipinski — are all anticipated to affix the AHL’s Wranglers this week after the tip of their respective junior seasons … Blue-line prospect Hunter Brzustewicz stays busy with the Kitchener Rangers. The 19-year-old help ace — acquired by the Flames within the Elias Lindholm commerce and signed to an entry-level contract final month — and his Rangers teammates have superior to the second spherical of the OHL playoffs.
wgilbertson@postmedia.com
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