The Calgary Flames’ burning training camp question still hasn’t been answered nearly a quarter of the way through the NHL season.

A bona fide No. 1 goaltender has yet to emerge, but the tandem of Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf has been a strength on a club (8-6-3) still finding its feet.

Calgary’s save percentage (.904) Thursday ranked ninth in the NHL and 10th in goals-against average (2.94).

“They both fed off each other,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said Thursday. “I call them 1A and 1A for our team. It worked well for us now because they both played so well.

“The pressure they put on each other with a good performance was good for our team. They gave our players a really good feeling that if a mistake is made, those guys are going to be there for us, no matter who’s in net, so a lot of us are sitting where we are now.”

The goalie anchored a team that was decent five-on-five but weak in special teams, faceoffs won and shots on goal allowed.

Colorado, Columbus, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose and Washington spread the starts fairly evenly among the goaltenders early this season.

Calgary operated a tandem in the purest sense, as Vladar and Wolf alternated games, except each taking a turn in back-to-back starts in early November.

There may be a pattern, but Huska says Vladar or Wolf are told the day before each game which of them starts. Calgary is home to the Nashville Predators on Friday.

“Both guys would love to play every game, no doubt, but we’re very high on both goalkeepers,” Huska said. “It’s a strength for us because we can play a guy who’s always fresh.

“I know sometimes they want to get into a rhythm and eventually, we’ve talked about it before, we’re going to get to that point where somebody starts a few more. We’re going to anticipate that ‘I’ll both continue to play well, but I like to have competition and I like to have a guy that you go to that’s fresh and feels really good about where he’s at.’

Which man could fill the void left by the trade of Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils was the prominent argument to start the season. The Flames don’t need an answer as long as Wolf and Vladar continue to make a difference.

Vladar opened with a 3-4-2 record, a 2.65 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage, plus Calgary’s lone goal. Wolf’s record was 5-2-1 with a 2.84 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.

Wolf went 1-0-1 on his back and Vladar went 1-1-0 on his. Each goalkeeper also has an assist.

“We’ve both done a pretty good job so far of limiting, I would say, the weak goals,” Wolf said. “The goals are going to come. If we can do our best to keep it under two, keep it under three, we have a pretty good chance of winning every night.”

Vladar was coming off a 3-1 loss to the Canucks in Vancouver on Tuesday, but he made some spectacular saves among his 29 tired skaters playing their second game in as many nights.

If he’s playing some of his best hockey in his fourth season as a Flame, the 27-year-old Czech’s season-ending hip surgery last March was a boon in hindsight.

“I play without pain,” Vladar said. “It helps me focus on my game and focus on getting better every day rather than keeping my legs. I’m thankful the coaches made the call. It made me a better hockey player.”

A tandem relieves the 23-year-old Wolf in his first real shot at the NHL since duty ended last season.

“Right now it’s working really well for us,” the Californian said. “I’m just getting into the league. It’s my first year and it’s giving me an opportunity.

“We push each other to be the best. If you’re going to be the best, you’ll probably get another opportunity to play. The relationship has been great so far. If we help the team win games, we’ll all be happy.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 14, 2024.