Dustin Wolf looks set to take back the crease as the Flames open a tough back-to-back against Seattle on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Wolf stepped in Wednesday after Devin Cooley was forced out of his fifth straight start following a crease collision with Edmonton’s Colton Dach. Once called on, Wolf turned aside 20 of 23 shots, and his biggest stop came late in the second period when he denied Leon Draisaitl from the low slot.
Now Calgary may need him right back in the spotlight.
"(A) back-to-back, coming up with tougher travel, so we'll have to see how things go here," Head Coach Ryan Huska said of the 48 hours ahead. "Then we'll be able to make the call as to who's going to play for us (Saturday) in Colorado."
Huska did not have an update Thursday on Cooley’s lower-body ailment, while Arsenii Sergeev handled the workload for the AHL’s Wranglers and made 36 saves in Calgary’s 4-2 win over Laval.
Wolf hasn’t started a game in more than two weeks, but Huska made it clear the goalie’s rhythm has not disappeared. He said the young netminder has stayed sharp even while Cooley was taking over the crease.
"He's a terrific young goaltender, and having this time while Devin was on the heater gives him an opportunity to kind of refocus and settle himself again," Huska said. "He got put in a tough situation (in Edmonton), And I thought he just got better and better with every minute that went by.
"He's going to get a chance to go now and we're expecting him to be our best player."
For Calgary, the broader message hasn’t changed: one game at a time. Still, Friday brings a clear chance to answer back against a Seattle team that beat the Flames 6-1 twice at the start of October.
Huska said he believes his club is in a far better place now than it was then.
"We're playing a much better brand of hockey right now," Huska explained. "Seattle's done a good job all year, the way they played the game, but I feel like we're at a better place now than what we were. So I think our group is looking forward to playing (Friday).
"And again, our crowd had almost been outstanding. That's one thing, too.
It's been a lot of fun to play in this building. We know we're a better team than what we showed our first two games of the year."
In Other News...
Flames Suddenly Have A Crease Problem Dustin Wolf Must Solve
Devin Cooleys sudden absence leaves Calgary with a much different look in goal, and the timing is hardly ideal. The Flames placed the goaltender on injured reserve after he was injured in a game, and Dustin Wolf now steps into the starters role as the club tries to steady itself through an unexpected shakeup in the crease.
To help cover the roster, Calgary also recalled Arseni Sergeev and William Stromgren from the Wranglers, with Stromgren coming up to fill the spot left by injured forward Brennan Othmann, who is day-to-day. The moves give the Flames some short-term depth, but the bigger question is how long they can manage without Cooley and how Wolf handles the added load in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Babcock Just Created An Oilers Decision Flames Fans Will Notice
Mike Babcocks return to the spotlight has already produced a familiar kind of debate around how he handles players, with former NHLer Corrado pointing to the contrast between Babcocks deep systems knowledge and Craig St. Louis more individualized approach. For teams around the league, and especially for rival fans watching Edmonton closely, it is the kind of coaching choice that can say as much about the room as it does about the lineup card.
Jake Walmans situation only sharpened that conversation. The defenseman was scratched in a recent game despite the size of his commitment and the fact that he has already dealt with an upper-body injury this season, a move that underscores how quickly Babcock is willing to make hard calls. For Calgary fans, it is another reminder that Edmontons internal decisions can ripple beyond one night on the schedule, especially when a coach with Babcocks reputation starts drawing a line between trust, usage and accountability. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Suddenly Face A Crease And Lineup Problem Before Back To Back
The Flames had to adjust on the fly after a bruising night against Edmonton left their roster thinner at two important spots, and the timing is far from ideal with back-to-back games against Western Conference opponents coming up. Calgary turned to the Wranglers for help, bringing up forward William Strmgren and goaltender Arsenii Sergeev as it tries to stabilize both the lineup and the crease.
For now, the goaltending picture points toward Dustin Wolf carrying the load with Sergeev behind him, while the forward group will have to manage without Brennan Othmann. It is the kind of short-term disruption that can ripple through a schedule quickly, especially when the games keep coming and the Flames do not have much time to sort out the next move. [Read more 🡒]