CALGARY — Twelve goals in two games has made for a brutal opening to Dustin Wolf's seven-year, $52.5-million extension with Calgary. The 25-year-old allowed six goals in each of his first two starts, both 6-1 losses against Seattle, putting every soft goal and bad bounce under immediate scrutiny as his new contract begins.
Wolf said he is better equipped to handle the adversity after a difficult year away from the crease. “Last year was just a struggle all around for myself,” Wolf said. “Whether it was at the rink, or away from the rink, I struggled from a lot of different areas. It's a brand-new year. I like to think I'm in a better place for a lot of different spots. It's important to have your head wrapped around the right things.” Asked if getting engaged helped settle him, he credited fiancée Sawyer Norman. “Having the best person at home to support you, she's the absolute best,” Wolf said. “If you don't have that, it's really hard to find success at the rink. So certainly very grateful, and I think it's definitely a critical point of me as a person and as a goalie.”
The Flames goaltender was candid about the two defeats in Seattle. “I mean, those are two games that didn't go well,” Wolf said. “From me, top-to-bottom, just nothing went right. It definitely sucked. Didn't feel great in the moment.” He said he was thinking too much against the rush, worrying about too many options instead of focusing on the puck carrier. “No doubt, after both those games, I'm pissed off,” he said. “At times, you do think the world is falling because you're trying to have a good start to the year, and giving up 12 goals in two games is not a good start. So it's kind of a blessing in disguise to have a few days in between games here and just get ready for the next start.”
Wolf acknowledged his numbers last season — a 2.99 goals-against average and .899 save percentage over 53 games — were not good enough and told the coaching staff, “I’m gonna be ready to have a way better year this year.” He spent a month-and-a-half in Meadow Lake, Sask., where time in nature helped reset his mind, and shared gym workouts with Norman during the summer. While goalie coach Jason LaBarbera wants him focused on process over outcomes, Wolf remains driven by wins for an undermanned roster in a rebuild.
There are 81 games left, and Wolf still hopes to make upwards of 65 starts, a lofty target after last season's workload raised concerns about burnout. He is not looking to be handled delicately but knows he must rediscover his form from two seasons ago to keep backup Devin Cooley — whose numbers were superior last season — on the bench. “Whoever's playing well is probably going to play,” Wolf said. “I'm excited to prove people wrong, that I didn't have my best year, and I'm here to get us wins.”