The Calgary Flames cooled off in their 4-0 shutout loss against the Edmonton Oilers in a game that saw Dustin Wolf return.
Devin Cooley got the nod heading into the Battle of Alberta. But an injury knocked him out of the game, forcing Wolf back into action. Cooley was off to another hot start against the high-octane Oilers. He allowed a goal on Edmonton's first shot, then stopped the Oilers' next eight before leaving the game after Colton Dach collided with him late in the first frame.
That forced Wolf into the final 40 minutes of the contest, where he once again put up pedestrian numbers. He finished with 20 saves on 23 shots, good for just an .870 save percentage.
While it's hard to blame netminders for every goal they allow, this was Wolf's opportunity to prove he was better than he had played so far this season. He didn't do that in Wednesday night's loss.
When asked about Wolf returning and rebuilding his confidence, Eric Francis of Sportsnet reported that Huska said, "He just needs to play. That's all it is, is to get his back up a little bit and just go play. He's a really good goaltender. He gives us a chance to win every time he's in the net."
Huska isn't wrong. Despite the Flames struggling in 2025-26, Wolf posted a solid .899 save percentage, a 3.01 GAA, two shutouts, and a .509 quality starts percentage.
Wolf was also incredible during his rookie season in 2024-25 when the Flames nearly ended up in the playoffs. He was a big part of their success, finishing the year with a .910 save percentage, a 2.64 GAA, three shutouts, and a .566 quality starts percentage.
Wolf also made the All-Rookie Team, finished second for the Calder, eighth for the Vezina, and 15th for the Hart. It set the stage for a decent follow-up in 2025-26.
But his 2026-27 season has been anything but a good year. So, seeing playing time and taking a step in rebuilding confidence could lead to more consistent performances down the road.
He must, however, erase his pedestrian start to the season. Following Calgary's loss to Edmonton, Wolf now has an .839 save percentage, a 4.81 GAA, and a .200 quality starts percentage.
While Cooley took over the job as the clear-cut starter before his injury on Wednesday, Wolf should still be the favorite as far as the long-term answer in Calgary's net goes. Cooley is in his age-29 season and has always been destined as a career backup/organizational depth.
Meanwhile, Wolf is in his age-25 season, and many goaltenders before him struggled early in their respective NHL tenures. Further, Wolf has shown how well he can man the net when his team is firing on all cylinders, and even when they are struggling.
Finally, his forgettable performances early this season remain a small sample size, and his more successful 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons are a better reflection of what he can do. If Cooley can get healthy again quickly and Wolf rediscovers his consistency, the Calgary Flames will have a dynamic yet underrated netminding duo.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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