Wolf, Flames remain upbeat after heartbreaking OT loss to Golden Knights

CALGARY – Dustin Wolf had no cause to hold his head.

However given the enormity of the state of affairs, it was comprehensible to see him sit there, in his crease, coping with the emotion of the cruelest of extra time losses.

The newest in a sequence of unlucky bounces for his membership noticed a centring go by Vegas’ Reilly Smith from behind the web bounce off MacKenzie Weegar’s skate and in off the again of Wolf’s arm to snag an important level from the determined Flames.

And whereas 18,000 fully-invested followers filed out of a tense, raucous constructing questioning simply how damaging the setback was to their playoff possibilities, Wolf provided up a refreshingly totally different perspective.

“We’re the underdogs,” mentioned Wolf following a 3-2 loss to Vegas that noticed his workforce rebound from a 2-0 deficit and a fourth-straight video overview that denied the Flames of a objective.

“We got here into the yr with all people saying we’re going to suck, and take a look at us now – we’re combating for our lives to sneak in.

“And what, we’re going to get in.

“This one stings, however we transfer on to the following one.

The idea inside that room gained’t be dampened by the unfortunate bounce or the video overview that was eerily comparable to their loss towards Utah on Tuesday wherein the puck sat as shut to crossing the within fringe of the objective line as doable with out producing a visual white hole for the overhead digital camera. 

“It sucks, I really feel like we haven’t gotten any bounce(s) to go our method in quite a few quantity of video games,” mentioned Wolf, who was spectacular in stopping 31 pictures on an evening that might have gotten away from the Flames early on with out him.

“I imply, what number of occasions has the puck sat on the road and simply not crossed. A troublesome method to go, however we acquired some extent and we’ve acquired stretch right here the place I feel we are able to make (up) some floor.”

The loser level helped shut the hole between the Flames and wild card holder Minnesota to 4 factors. The Flames have six video games left and one in hand towards the Wild, who go to Calgary on Friday.

It’s a journey that’s not for the faint of coronary heart, because the love affair between the town and the lads who by no means stop has made for loads of must-see TV of late.

Saturday night time on Hockey NIght in Canada was no totally different.

Down 2-0, Joel Hanley accomplished a superb passing play from Blake Coelman and Nazem Kadri by pausing briefly earlier than rifling residence his second of the season with eight seconds left within the second interval.

Matt Coronato’s 21^st of the yr got here within the opening minute of the third, organising a ultimate stretch wherein a fully-invested Saddledome gathering agonized over each play.

A Kevin Bahl tripping penalty with 89 seconds remaining brought on loads of angst, earlier than a Mikael Backlund breakaway within the dying seconds upped everybody’s coronary heart fee.

A painful blocked shot by MacKenzie Weegar early in extra time helped kill off the penalty, organising 4 extra minutes of anxiety-ridden, four-on-four play.

It positive felt just like the season hung within the steadiness.

When Smith’s second of the sport discovered the again of the web 4:31 into additional time, the frustration and heartbreak within the stands was palpable.

The gamers felt it too, as they’re solely human.

However there was Weegar minutes later, placing on a smile for After Hours, whereas Wolf confronted the media with a reminder of the resilience that has gotten them this far.

“You’ve acquired to consider it as half glass full too, proper?” mentioned Wolf, whose squad heads west to face San Jose on Monday and Anaheim on Wednesday.

“One level is healthier than no level. Clearly I feel we deserved higher, however the hockey gods aren’t actually serving to us a complete lot now with bounces. 

“In some unspecified time in the future it’s going to flip, and when it does I feel we’re all going to be laughing about it.

“However within the meantime, we’ve acquired to work our nuts off right here the final six video games and discover a method to get 12 factors.”

Flames prime prospect Zayne Parekh will undoubtedly be heading to California to meet up with the Flames, as his Saginaw Spirit have been eradicated from the OHL playoffs on Saturday.

It’s unlikely the prolific defenceman will go well with up for the Flames so long as they remain within the playoff race. However within the meantime, the 19-year-old first rounder will do his greatest to absorb the whole lot he can from his future teammates, readying himself to make the inevitable leap from junior legend to big-leaguer.