Flames Can Learn From Islanders When Handling Dustin Wolf

The good news is the Flames have an answer to back up Wolf in Dan Vladar. He’s started 26 of the team’s 68 games, and it’s allowed Wolf to stay fresh in the net. The downside is Vladar is having a rough season and throughout his career, he’s proven he can be a reliable backup at best but more often than not, he’s a liability in the net. It’s not a glaring need but still, one the Flames must address in the offseason if they want to take that next step to contention.

A Good Defense Is Still Key

Under the same theme of not overworking the goaltender, the Flames must protect their goaltender. Sorokin’s played his best all season in the recent games, and it’s in part because of how the defense has looked in front of him. The Islanders have limited shots and slowed the games down.

Under former head coach Lane Lambert, the Islanders played a fast-paced style of hockey with minimal discipline or structure. It forced Sorokin to face a surplus of shots every night and eventually, it became too much for him. That changed when Patrick Roy was hired as the team started to play with structure and with greater emphasis on defense.

The strength of the Flames is their goaltending, but right after that, it’s their defensive unit. Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar lead the way, while Kevin Bahl and Brayden Pachal have emerged as younger skaters who can round out the unit. While the offense still has room to improve, the Flames can win from the net out and with a great defense in front of Wolf, it’s a great recipe for success in the NHL.

Flames Must Work With Wolf’s Athleticism

Sorokin isn’t a small goaltender at 6-foot-4 and weighing 211 pounds, but he can play like one at times. Specifically, he uses his athletic play to his advantage and when he’s caught out of position, he will make highlight reel saves. Wolf, on the other hand, is a smaller goaltender at 6 feet tall and weighing only 166 pounds, and he solely relies on his athleticism to make a difference. In a league where goaltenders are being developed bigger than ever before, Wolf is the outlier, and it makes him a fascinating goaltender to watch.

Wolf’s skills force the Flames to defend a specific way in their zone. The skaters can’t get into his sight lines and must stop the initial shot. However, they don’t need to crowd the shooting lanes and instead can play more aggressively in the defensive zone. They can give up some shots knowing Wolf can make the saves and when needed, he can stop the second-chance shots as well. It’s this advantage that can allow the defense to play better, and more importantly, create more turnovers to start up the offense. If they work around his style, this is a team that will be tough to beat for years to come.

They Should Lean on Their Star Goaltenders When Needed

Ideally, the Flames and Islanders split starts for the majority of the season. Sorokin and Wolf started most of the games early on, but not an overwhelming majority. That said, when the team needs to make a playoff push and secure a spot, they must roll with their elite goaltenders.

That’s where the Flames and Islanders are. They are both on the outside of the playoff picture looking in and must go on a run. The Flames leaning on Wolf down the stretch will give them an advantage on a nightly basis and allow them to sneak in as a wild card, and the same can be said about Sorokin. That’s how the Islanders grabbed a wild card spot in the 2022-23 season, as they rolled with Sorokin in the final few games to go on a run.

Both goaltenders can handle a big workload down the stretch. The question is if both can stack up in the playoffs as well. Sorokin has struggled in the playoffs in recent seasons, resulting in first-round exits, while Wolf is an unknown. But if either team gets in, they’ll turn to their elite goaltenders. The hope is they can take their play up a notch and allow their teams to go on deep playoff runs.