How Flames’ Dustin Wolf is quickly moving past rough outing
Pulled for the first time in his NHL career, Dustin Wolf got back to work immediately in order to recalibrate. It’s that mindset that’s gotten the Flames goalie league-wide attention and has him moving forward quickly.
NEW YORK – Sitting alone in the dressing room of the world’s most famous arena, Dustin Wolf reflected on one of the biggest setbacks of his young career.
Pulled for the first time in his NHL career one night earlier in Toronto, the 23-year-old summoned the help of Calgary Flames goalie coach Jason LaBarbera for a quiet twirl around Madison Square Garden to recalibrate.
“A good opportunity to just kind of get back to the basics, because sometimes it’s what you need,” said Wolf, as his teammates rested in their Manhattan hotel following a 3 a.m. ET arrival Tuesday morning.
“This skate certainly wasn’t planned, but I didn’t like my game in Toronto, I know the team didn’t like theirs, and it’s a great opportunity to kind of get back to work.
“Plus, it’s a pretty cool barn, so why not take an extra chance to come and sit here? It’s an absolute pleasure to be here.”
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And that, in a nutshell, is how the soft-spoken Californian got to where he is today: a top Calder Trophy candidate based on equal parts hard work, dedication, appreciation and skill.
And while the undersized seventh-rounder has undoubtedly been the MVP and driving force behind the Flames’ unlikely playoff push, he found himself in the crosshairs of a Leafs shooting gallery on Monday in which he failed to come up with some of the sick stops he’s made all year.
And it stung.
“Obviously I was upset just coming back into the room, and I’m a pretty emotional guy,” said Wolf of being told after 40 minutes and five goals on 26 shots he’d sit out the third.
“I don’t want to say I shed a tear, but I had a good talk with Ras (Rasmus Andersson). He was like, ‘this isn’t the first time this has happened, and it’s not the last either.’ But he was just very supportive, saying, ‘you’ve kept us in this all season.’ It’s kind of nice to hear in that moment. You probably don’t want to hear it because I always blame myself first. I want to help my team win, and my objective is to keep the puck out of the net. When five go in, it’s not a pretty one.”
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While it was the first time in 57 NHL starts he didn’t finish what he started, Andersson was right – it wasn’t the first time he’d been lifted as a pro.
“I got pulled in my very first American League game — that one wasn’t a pretty one,” smiled Wolf of a 2021 debut with Stockton that saw him yoinked after allowing five goals on 11 shots.
“I don’t know if I would call it a wake-up call, but just kind of a, ‘welcome to the league, here you go.’ You’re thrown into the fire and the worst thing that could happen happened. You can’t go any lower than that. All you can go from there is up.”
To his point, he went the next 20 starts before allowing his next regulation loss, en route to becoming the AHL’s top goalie in 2021-22.
Bouncebacks are part of being a top player, and few are better at their craft than he is, sitting amongst the league’s elite in save and win percentage.
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While no one can blame Wolf for not being able to stop the five rockets that beat him (three on the power play), the reality is he was in net for a blowout.
Or, as he tried to look at it the next day, “a blessing in disguise.”
“It sucked because you want to find a save to kind of keep your team in it, and I just didn’t find it, but it was a great learning experience,” said Wolf, the team’s likely starter Thursday in New Jersey.
“That wasn’t my night. It wasn’t our team’s night. But when the next opportunity comes I’m going to be ready to rock.
“The games are coming quick, and you want to make sure when you get that next chance you feel good about yourself.”
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It’s that mentality that’s earned him league-wide attention – a spotlight he stewed in while sitting amongst the patrons in Toronto.
“He has just a great demeanour about himself and his ability to enjoy being at the rink and the process is as good as I’ve seen,” said LaBarbera.
“Everyone goes through it. You just have to learn how to navigate and manage it.”
Wolf’s 22-14-5 record includes three losses in a row, which is his only measuring stick.
Following the rare rocky outings he’s had in his career he’s always rebounded well, which is a testament to his mindset, preparation and endless confidence.
“I’ve been able to put myself in a good position this year where the staff and the players trust me in there,” said Wolf.
“I’m still figuring out this league, and I’m going to be figuring it out for a long time. It was just one of those stepping stones I’ll learn from.”
