3 Takeaways From Flames Big 3-1 Win Over Sharks

The Calgary Flames picked up where they left off, coming out of their Christmas break with a convincing 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night at SAP Center.

Calgary's record is now 17-11-7 after 35 games, which keeps them tied with the Dallas Stars for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Each team has 41 points.

On Saturday, Jonathan Huberdeau stayed red hot, netting two goals, while Dustin Wolf picked up his second win in San Jose, a memorable moment for the Gilroy, CA, native.

The Flames Almost Goaltended Out of the Building

It's been a long time since the Flames faced such a young, talented netminder like Yaroslav Askarov. In the first period, he made 15 stops and had another 15 over the final two periods to stonewall the Calgary offense.

Whether it was acrobatic saves or just throwing his body in front of shots, Askarov was a handful for the Flames, who already have enough problems scoring. The visitors managed to get two past him, as he kept the Sharks in the contest despite long stretches of being hemmed in their zone.

Like many times, goalies are the difference between wins and losses. On Saturday, Askarov took the loss, dropping to 2-3-2 in his career, but this won't be the last time that Flames players will look to the rafters, unable to believe that this young kid made a spectacular save.

Huberdeau is Making the Case to be the Flames Offensive MVP

Sportsnet pointed out that in 2023-24, Huberdeau scored only one point in December, earning an assist in a New Year's Eve contest to avoid going pointless in the month.

Twelve months later, he's become the lightning rod for the Flames attack, scoring another two goals on Saturday to bring his December 2024 totals up to seven goals, six assists, and 13 points in ten games.

Last year, Huberdeau vastly underperformed, scoring 12 goals and 52 points and registering a minus-29 rating. Meanwhile, Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman became 30-goal scorers, and Nazem Kadri finished with 75 points.

With Kadri keeping pace in goals and points this year, Huberdeau's improved play is why Calgary is in the playoff chase, not the Draft Lottery race. Overall, the Flames are 7-5-1 when he scores a goal and 10-6-3 when he registers a point.

This One Was For Wolf

Wolf is one of five goalies from California in NHL history. In 36 games, he became the fastest netminder from the Golden State to win 19 games, edging out Thatcher Demko, who needed 41 games to reach the mark.

Only one other goalie from California has won 19 games: Collin Delia, who won 19 in 52 games from 2017 to 2023. When Wolf collects his 20th win, he'll be 98 victories behind Demko, who has a 118-82-20 record after 225 games.

Related: Can Wolf Became Fifth Flames Goalie To Win 20 Home Games In Single Season?

As a San Diego native, Demko has played well against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, the two NHL markets closest to his hometown.

Meanwhile, in front of his friends and family on Saturday, Wolf picked up his second career road win in San Jose, the closest market to his hometown.

Knowing the significance of the night, the Flames played a solid game, and everyone contributed to making sure their number-one goalie got to celebrate a remarkable win.

Flames & Sharks Trivia Answers

How did you score in our Game Day Trivia quiz? Here are the answers.

1. Nikita Zadorov

2. Theo Fleury

3. Shean Donovan

4. Theo Fleury

5. Jarome Iginla

6. Jeff Reese

7. Kelly Hrudey

8. Gary Suter

9. Joe Nieuwendyk

10. Al MacInnis