Flames' Markstrom to miss some time due to injury
The Calgary Flames will be looking to get back into the win column tonight versus the Minnesota Wild, but will be forced to do so without goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
It was reported yesterday that Markstrom was forced to leave practice early after taking a puck off a non-protected part of his blocker. The Swedish netminder was said to have left the ice in a hurry with blood dripping from one of his fingers.
While no immediate update was given from the Flames, they have announced this morning that Markstrom is week-to-week with a fractured finger. As a result, Dustin Wolf has been summoned from the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL.
After a slow start to the season in which he had a 1-6-1 record through eight starts, Markstrom has rebounded and now sits at 6-8-2. Despite the improved play, however, his numbers are down for the second straight season, as he currently sits with a 2.96 goals against average (GAA) along with a .896 save percentage (SV%).
While his injury is a tough pill to swallow given his workhorse role for the Flames, it is also exciting in that it will give Wolf an opportunity to step up and show what he can do. The 22-year-old made his second ever NHL start earlier this season, allowing four goals on 38 shots in what was a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. In 13 AHL starts this season, he has a 2.50 GAA along with a .920 SV%.
Given the timing of things, it is likely that Dan Vladar will be the man between the pipes for tonight’s outing versus the Wild. While the 26-year-old hasn’t had the greatest start to the season, he was absolutely phenomenal in his latest outing, kicking aside 27 of 28 shots in an overtime win versus one of the Western Conference’s powerhouses in the Vegas Golden Knights.
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