Dustin Wolf was one “bad hop” and maybe two or three feet from a Calgary Flames’ franchise first.
And the way Rasmus Andersson soaked up his third-star twirl, waving to the crowd and clapping his hands in a show of appreciation, it sure seemed like he was acknowledging this could be the last time he wears a Flames uniform.
Wolf’s near-miss — with the Islanders pulling their own masked man for an extra attacker, he was aiming for the 21st goalie goal in NHL history — and Andersson’s feels-like-a-goodbye were the most memorable moments Saturday as the Saddledome hosts notched a 4-2 victory over their visitors from New York.
It wouldn’t be a shocker if Andersson is packing his bags before Monday’s date with the New Jersey Devils. The trade speculation has swirled for months already, but talks have really intensified over the past few days, with the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights currently believed to be the frontrunners for this heart-and-soul defenceman.
As general manager Craig Conroy works to get a deal done, many were surprised that Andersson was even in the lineup against the Isles.
He topped the team in ice time, logging 25:40, assisted on the opening goal and lingered at the gate to high-five every one of his teammates after the final buzzer.
Saluted as third star, he returned to the ice for the sort of thank-you that you don’t always get in pro sports. The moment was not lost on the 29-year-old workhorse or anybody in the C of Red.
“I don’t think he shuts off his social media, I don’t think he’s one of those guys, so I think he knows what’s going on and all the conversations that are out there about him,” praised Flames head coach Ryan Huska after another strong performance from Andersson. “I think it says a ton about his mental fortitude or whatever you want to call it that he’s able to just go and play and not worry about the things that he has no control of. I think that’s something that most players should aspire to be like.”
Rasmus Andersson (right) high-fives Flames teammates after Saturday’s win.
Oh-so-close
Yegor Sharangovich, Adam Klapka, Justin Kirkland and Yan Kuznetsov did Saturday’s lamp-lighting for the hosts.
All four snipes were overshadowed by Wolf’s near-miss.
With his squad trailing by three, Islanders head coach and twine-minding legend Patrick Roy made an aggressive call to pull David Rittich with about eight minutes remaining.
Wolf snagged a wrist-shot by Max Shabanov, immediately dropped the puck at the edge of the blue paint and gave it his best effort. His long-distance dedication sailed to the opposite blue-line but veered just a little left on that first skip and ultimately missed the target.
It looked so good that Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar had raised his arms in celebration. He wound up with both hands on his helmet, indicating his disbelief.
“I like the angle it took at it, but a bad hop,” groaned Wolf, whose official stat-line showed 28 saves and one missed shot attempt. “Try again next time.
“Crazy enough, I was just practising a couple days ago when I wasn’t playing. You know what? It’s a learning opportunity to try to make it land a little nicer next time.”
When next time comes along, we’ll be rooting for him. He’d be the first Flames puck-stopper to pot one.
“Like I told him before, ‘Just make sure that you make the save if it comes back again,’ ” Huska said. “It would have neat to see it go in. The crowd would have been pretty excited.”
Flames goalie Dustin Wolf reacts after near scoring an empty-net goal.
Long time coming
It might have been the biggest smile at the Saddledome this season.
And rightly so. It was a long time coming.
When Kirkland converted on a two-on-one with fellow fourth-liner Ryan Lomberg, it marked his first NHL goal since Nov. 12, 2024. That stretch included the gruelling grind to recover from surgery on a torn ACL.
“There was a lot of relief in that goal,” Kirkland said.
Not just for the reasons you think.
The Flames’ checkers had been stuck in their own end for a marathon shift that had already stretched about a minute and a half.
They were so tired that Klapka, after a diving play to help clear the zone, beelined to the bench rather than join his linemates on what could have been a three-on-one.
Islanders rearguard Ryan Pulock hit the deck to try to fill the passing lane, but Lomberg was able to squeeze a feed to Kirkland, who revealed in his post-game scrum that he had treated his buddy to a free meal on this recent road-trip “so I think he owed me that one.”
“Just to contribute offensively is a good feeling,” said Kirkland after his third career big-league bury. “Kind of a weight off the shoulders, too, to get that first one.”
Flames forward Justin Kirkland (back) celebrates his goal against the Islanders with Ryan Lomberg.
Welcome back, Gridin
A few days back, Matvei Gridin scored an invitation to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic. Turns out, that wasn’t even the highlight of his week.
The Flames recalled their top forward prospect on Saturday morning, giving the 19-year-old winger a chance to show how his two-way game has evolved since his October audition.
Gridin, who sits second among rookies in the minor-league scoring race, was immediately plugged into a top-six role alongside Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary.
He made a couple of nifty plays in the offensive zone, including a spinning shot after he intercepted a risky pass by Tony DeAngelo, but it was a gutsy block that had his teammates buzzing.
Early in the third, Gridin sacrificed his body to dead-end a slapper from Adam Pelech. The puck caromed into the neutral zone and Kadri gave his kid linemate a tap on the pants as he hustled to change.
“Guys loved it,” said Gridin, an icepack strapped on his foot. “They said I have to do it for the first few years, I guess.”
This talented up-and-comer will happily do whatever it takes to stick around at the highest level. It wouldn’t be a bad thing if he had to skip that all-star game.
“It means coaches see how I play in the AHL,” Gridin said of Saturday’s recall, with William Stromgren returned to the Wranglers in a corresponding move and Zayne Parekh also assigned on a conditioning loan. “I guess they love it and give me another chance to stay here.”
Matvei Gridin warms up for Saturday’s game after being recalled from the Wranglers.
Flames forward Adam Klapka scores on New York Islanders goalie David Rittich.