The Flames outshot the Caps 13-5 in the first period but it was the visitors who scored the only goal of the opening stanza.
Pierre-Luc Dubois would capitalize on a turnover deep in the Flames zone, intercepting a clearing attempt and roofing one high gloveside 1:51 in.
Wolf made a heads-up stop not long after on Alex Ovechkin, who was in search of goal 876 as he tries to chase down Wayne Gretzky’s record. The Washington captain tried throwing a puck out front from behind the net and it went off Rasmus Andersson’s stick and changed direction but the Flames ‘tender was there tight to his post for the save.
The Flames had two breakaway attempts in the period.
Klapka forced the Caps to cough up the puck and he fed it to Ryan Lomberg but Thompson denied his far, lowside attempt.
Later, Nazem Kadri was able to cut in off the wing and across the crease after Rasmus Sandin blew a wheel, but Thompson stopped his five-hole offering.
Andrew Mangiapane – returning to the 'Dome after an offseason trade – was honoured during the first TV timeout of the net, drawing a standing O from the C of Red as he smiled and waved to from the bench.
He tested Wolf his next time on the ice with a wrister from the left faceoff circle.
Wolf made a 10-beller early in the second to keep it a one-goal game, making the initial stop on a Martin Fehervary’s point shot, then absolutely robbing Ethen Frank by flashing the leather on his backhand rebound attempt on the doorstep.
Then Kadri – who was buzzing all game – took a pass from Barrie and tried a nifty wraparound but was stopped.
The Flames went to the powerplay at 12:05 when Dubois got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and wasted little time, Barrie stepping into a howitzer from the point through traffic that Coleman deftly tipped home at 12:17.