Flames win thanks to Wolf’s record-breaking shutout against Canadiens

The Calgary Flames were running out of gas, but rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf made sure what little was left in the tank was enough. The 23-year-old made 26 stops to help the Flames secure a 1-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday evening.

The victory earned his Flames a coveted playoff position — at least temporarily — and Wolf also secured a spot in the franchise record books as the first rookie netminder to earn three shutouts in his first full season. He’s also a perfect 3-0-0 against the Habs in his young career.

As fatigued as he and his teammates must have been after a six-game road swing through the east, Wolf didn’t crack. He hadn’t even skated for the two days, choosing sleep over an a morning skate.

But there’s one thing he never tires of: a shutout.

“Never. Do this every night if I could,” he joked with reporters at the Saddledome post-game. “I felt good. We’ve had a long trip. It’s been a lot of different beds. Fatiguing, but good to come back into our home building and just find a way (to win).”

The Flames started out the contest as the more impressive squad. Joel Farabee — one of the pre-deadline acquisitions who has been heating up in recent games — finally snapped the scoreless tie about 36 minutes in. Turns out that was enough for a Flames team that intends to show GM Craig Conroy that he made a good decision in resisting the urge to sell off any pieces as the NHL trade deadline came and went on Friday.

“Every game matters. There’s a lot of scoreboard watching from everyone in the room. You’re hoping for results (that favour you that are) outside your control, and you’re trying to do everything you can to get two points every night,” Wolf said. “We’ve got a lot of tough opponents coming up. The next one’s really, really important.”

The next two, really. On Wednesday, the Calgary Flames host the Canucks — the team they’re in lockstep with in the race for the final Western Conference wildcard spot. On Friday, the Flames welcome the Colorado Avalanche.

For the Canadiens, the lone-goal loss was a huge setback as they are stuck two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wildcard slot in the Eastern Conference.