Wolf helps Flames shut down visiting Panthers 3-0

By Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press on December 14, 2024.

Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight, right, fails to stop Calgary Flames' Nazem Kadri from scoring during first period NHL hockey action in Calgary, Alta., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY – Mikael Backlund had a goal and an assist and rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf made 32 stops for his second shutout as the Calgary Flames blanked the Florida Panthers 3-0 on Saturday.

Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman also scored for Calgary (15-11-5), which had surrendered 21 goals in its previous four games including eight against Tampa Bay on Thursday. The Flames improve to 7-1-1 in their last nine home games.

Florida (18-11-2) was shut out for the second straight game and it comes one year to the day that last happened. The reigning Stanley Cup champions have lost back-to-back games on the heels of a seven-game points streak.

Wolf snapped a three-game losing skid in which he had yielded 14 goals. He improves to 9-5-1 and is the league-leader among rookies in wins.

Spencer Knight made 24 stops at the other end. He falls to 5-5-1.

The only goal Calgary would need came 8:57 into the first period when Kadri stripped the puck from Dmitry Kulikov in his own zone and on the ensuing breakaway went backhand to forehand on a nifty deke.

TAKEAWAYS

Panthers: Florida, blanked 4-0 in Vancouver on Thursday, has gone 146:01 since their last goal, which came in the second period against Seattle in the opening game of their five-game road trip. That goal was scored by captain Aleksander Barkov, who was a scratch on Saturday due to illness. Florida started the day tied for fourth in the NHL in goals (106).

Flames: It was a solid bounceback effort from Calgary’s penalty kill after Thursday against the Lightning in which they gave up three power-play goals on three chances. Down 1-0, Florida got consecutive power plays late in the first, but the Flames killed both off. Contributing to those two kills was former Panther MacKenzie Weegar, playing his 500th career NHL game.

KEY MOMENT

After the Flames had what appeared to be a two-goal cushion at 11:34 of the second erased when Backlund’s goal was waved off after video review for being kicked in, that same line struck for Calgary with 55 seconds left in the second. Making it 2-0, Matt Coronato set up Coleman, who beat Knight between his pads.

KEY STAT

Wolf continues his extreme splits between home and road. The 23-year-old has been outstanding at the Scotiabank Saddledome going 8-1-0 with a .949 save percentage and a pair of shutouts. On the road, he’s 1-4-1 with a .862 save percentage.

UP NEXT

Panthers: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

Flames: Host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2024.