CALGARY, Alberta — Dustin Wolf achieved his first career shutout with an impressive performance, making 29 saves as the Calgary Flames triumphed over the Nashville Predators with a score of 2-0 on Friday night.
Daniil Miromanov netted his first goal of the season, while Blake Coleman sealed the victory for Calgary with an empty-net goal. With this win, the Flames have now garnered points in five of their last six games, bouncing back after a rough stretch where they faced five losses out of six matches.
The Predators, on the other hand, struggled offensively, recording their third shutout of the season and winning only one game in their last seven attempts. Nashville’s Juuse Saros turned away 31 shots in the loss.
Both goaltenders showcased their skills by making significant saves during short-handed breakaways. In the first period, Wolf thwarted Cole Smith’s attempt, while Saros made a crucial save in the third, extending his pad to deny Coleman during a two-on-one rush.
Noteworthy highlights from the game include a close call for the Predators when Steven Stamkos had a strong scoring opportunity from the side of the net after a rebound, yet Wolf’s quick reflexes helped him deny the shot. The 34-year-old Stamkos, in his first season with Nashville after spending 16 years with Tampa Bay, has accumulated eight points (comprising four goals and four assists) through 18 games but only has two points at even strength.
Calgary had a chance to extend their lead with a two-man advantage late in the second period. However, the only shot they managed was a long-range wrist shot from Jonathan Huberdeau that posed little threat to Saros.
In a pivotal moment of the game, Calgary broke the deadlock at 6:38 in the third period. Nazem Kadri skillfully won a faceoff and sent the puck back to MacKenzie Weegar, who faked a shot before passing to Miromanov. The latter advanced from the point and fired a shot that sailed over Saros’ shoulder, putting Calgary ahead.
An intriguing aspect of this low-scoring affair was the matchup between two of the league’s smaller goalkeepers. At 5-foot-11, Saros is just an inch taller than Wolf, who holds the title of the lightest goaltender, weighing in at 166 pounds.
Looking ahead, the Predators will travel to Vancouver on Sunday, while the Flames are set to host the New York Islanders on Tuesday.