Can Dustin Wolf Help the Flames Turn Things Around?

I have a feeling Calgary Flames fans are getting a little nervous as this season gets underway. It's early, of course, and nobody should be writing off a team after a handful of games. But the Flames have started poorly, and they need to stop the bleeding before this becomes a long season.

Wolf is a good goalie, but he hasn't played well yet.

Saturday's game against the Anaheim Ducks is another opportunity. More importantly, it gives Dustin Wolf a chance to help his team find its footing. Wolf is a good young goaltender. We've seen enough to believe he can be a difference-maker in Calgary. But his numbers through his first two appearances have been rough. He's 0-2-0, with a 6.00 goals-against average and a .797 save percentage. Those aren't the numbers anyone wants to see from their starting goaltender.

Of course, goaltending numbers never tell the whole story. A goalie can only do so much when his team gives opponents too much room, loses battles, or makes costly mistakes in front of him. I'm not suggesting that Calgary's struggles are all on Wolf.

But here's the problem. When a team is off to a rough start, it needs somebody to give it a chance to win. Sometimes that's a timely goal. Sometimes it's a big defensive play. And sometimes, it's a goaltender making a save he probably had no business making.

Can Wolf be that guy who leads the way against the Ducks?

I think he can. He's shown he can be much better than his early numbers suggest. The question is whether he can find that form while the Flames work through their problems. The Ducks are scoring 3.50 goals per game early in the season, so this won't necessarily be an easy assignment.

Calgary needs Wolf to settle things down, make the saves he's supposed to make, and give his teammates some confidence that one mistake won't end up in the back of their net. That's a lot to ask of a 25-year-old goalie, but it's also part of the job.

The Flames desperately need a win. One victory won't fix everything, and it's far too early to panic. Still, if Calgary can't get better goaltending and start finding ways to win, the season could quickly become an uphill climb.

Wolf is good enough to help change that story. Saturday would be a good time to start.