'Could Use A Save': Flames Head Coach Looks To Crease After Tough Loss

steve macfarlane

Mon, Jan 27, 2025, 11:39 a.m.·2 min read

Fatigue was understandable. The Calgary Flames were playing their third game in four nights, and their second in less than 24 hours in different road cities.

But the one guy who should have been fresh wasn’t able to be the difference maker.

Goaltender Dan Vladar would be the first to tell you he didn’t have his best game of the season. Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska didn’t seem to mind being a close second when answering Flames team reporters after the 5-2 loss to the Jets in Winnipeg on Sunday.

“There were certain situations where I felt we could use a save, which isn’t something we have said a lot this year,” Huska said after suggesting his squad “did a lot of good things.”

Vladar has been clearly overtaken by rookie Flames goalie Dustin Wolf as the team’s top goalie. Not only is the youngster a worthy vote for the Calder Trophy, he’s been a top-five NHL netminder who may start getting some Vezina looks, too.

Backing Wolf up the previous four games, Vladar drew the second game of a back-to-back set as he has all season. Unfortunately, those are now likely to be the only starts Vladar gets for the Flames the rest of the year as long as Wolf is healthy and thriving.

To be fair, Vladar had drawn the tougher starts and situations over the first half of the season to allow Wolf to get his bearings in his first full NHL campaign. That has changed, and Vladar will have to find a way to be at his best in the backup role now.

He stopped 22 of 27 shots in Winnipeg as the Jets pounced early and dominated possession. Kyle Connor scored five minutes in. Mason Appleton made it 2-0 at the halfway point of the second period before MacKenzie Weegar scored powerplay goal for the Flames with about five minutes left in the frame.

But a momentum killing goal from Gabe Vilardi came in the final minute to send the Calgary Flames to the third period down by a pair. Vladar was set for the shot that came from in close, with no traffic in front, but couldn't make that important stop — and the body language afterward spoke volumes.

Vilardi added a second goal in the third period to make it 4-1, that saw Vladar — a pending unrestricted free agent who has been on NHL trade boards recently — stuck deep in his crease during a bit of a scramble.

Nazem Kadri cut into the lead again less than a minute and a half later, but that was as close as the Flames would get from there with Mark Scheifele answering back quickly.