Dustin Wolf’s night ended with him smashing his stick on the boards as he left the ice at TD Garden Thursday night.
However, if not for that paddle of his, the exit would have come a lot earlier.
He used it, and almost every other piece of his equipment, to help the Calgary Flames steal a point against the Boston Bruins in a 4-3 overtime loss.
Although Brad Marchand atoned for a bad penalty and two shots off the post to score the overtime winner, Wolf’s first year as a full-time NHLer continues to demonstrate he’s the real deal.
Following a similar script to the one that saw Wolf hold the fort early in a comeback win in Montreal two nights earlier, the 23-year-old netminder made 13 of his 34 saves in a second period that could easily have gone off the rails for the Flames.
Big saves on David Pastrnak and former Flame Elias Lindholm, amongst others, helped limit the damage to two Bruins goals in a stanza that saw the Bruins take a 3-1 lead.
His ability to keep the Flames in a highly entertaining game set the stage for the team’s latest third-period comeback.
No longer is the question whether he’s big enough to be an everyday NHLer.
The question is just how dominant he can end up being at the highest level.
Twice in overtime alone he broke up significant scoring chances by deftly using his paddle, both times setting up tremendous scoring chances moments later at the other end.
However, the evening ended when Lindholm deftly pickpocketed former teammate Rasmus Andersson behind the Flames net, feeding Marchand in front, where Wolf made a great stop, only to be beaten on the rebound with just 20 seconds remaining.
Nothing Wolf could do.
His record now sits at 4-3 with a save percentage above .900, and the coaches are comfortable putting him in any situation.
Pospisil on right side of the line
Much has been made about Martin Pospisil’s proclivity for taking bad penalties, particularly in the offensive zone.
He took a lot of heat for a costly penalty in a recent loss to Edmonton, and was promptly demoted to the fourth line for a spell.
So it’s only fair to point out times when he finds himself on the other side of the ledger, turning his ability to agitate into a penalty for the opposition.
A perfect example of that came in the opening minute of the third period when he helped turn the game around for the Flames.
Going out of his way to give the ever-volatile Marchand a tiny bump after an offside whistle, Justin Brazeau immediately jumped in while Marchand retaliated with a glove to the face that earned him a sit-down.
It was the spark the Flames needed, as Yegor Sharangovich redirected a MacKenzie Weegar shot on the power play that trimmed the Bruins lead to 3-2.
Nazem Kadri would later tie it 3-3, setting the stage for a well-earned point that started with Pospisil’s sandpaper.
Resilience their hallmark
The Flames entered the game leading the league with three comeback wins, and continued to demonstrate they’re undaunted by early deficits.
The Flames also lead the league by scoring 51 per cent of their goals this season in the third period, a number bolstered by Kadri and Sharangovich, who added to Tyson Barrie’s first goal as a Flame in the first period.
“I liked how we stuck with it again – that’s kind of a trademark for our team, that we always feel we’re still in games,” Ryan Huska told reporters after a game in which the Flames hit the post in overtime.
“I’m pleased with how we were a resilient bunch tonight. That’s a big point for us.”
Mantha on IR
Earlier on Thursday the Flames put Anthony Mantha on injured reserve and recalled Dryden Hunt from the Wranglers, where the 28-year-old had two goals and eight assists in 12 games.
Hunt didn’t dress, but will be with the team in time for Saturday’s 11 a.m. MT start in Buffalo.
Despite several youngsters impressing in the minors, this move makes sense as there is only one game left on this roadie and the odds are he’ll remain the 13th forward.
It allows Wranglers hotshots like Rory Kerins, Jakob Pelletier and Sam Honzek to continue logging big minutes, instead of watching from the NHL press box.
The Lines:
Zary-Kadri-Kuzmenko
Huberdeau-Sharangovich-Pospisil
Coleman-Backlund-Coronato
Lomberg-Rooney-Kirkland
Bahl-Andersson
Weegar-Miromanov
Barrie-Pachal
