4 Calgary Flames Searching For Form In Mile High City

Karri Ramo

With Jonas Hiller going down injured, it’s been left to Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio to battle it out for the starting goaltender berth. In Denver, Karri Ramo has been given the start and will be looking to build upon the win against Edmonton.

However, the Calgary Flames goaltending hasn’t exactly been a strong suit this year following the injury to the number one. Right now, the numbers aren’t looking very pretty.

Prior to going down injured, Jonas Hiller had put up a rather meagre .861 save percentage for his seven games. Ramo and Ortio have both seen ice four times apiece and have matched save percentage with .868 – numbers that are evidently not good enough.

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Ramo back-stopped the team to victory over the Edmonton Oilers, but the Calgary Flames aren’t going to win too many more games this season that see them concede four goals. He needs a big, big game against the Avalanche to show he should be given a run with the team.

Otherwise, it’ll be a case of shuffling the pack once more and seeing whether Ortio can take the ball and run with it.

No team performs at its’ best if they’re in front of a struggling goaltender. The lack of confidence permeates the whole team, with defensemen spending the whole game more concerned about whether their net is safe than focusing on the two-way game. This in turn affects scoring, and the cycle continues.

Ramo needs to deliver the goods if the team are to win, he needs to help his defencemen break the cycle and push the team forward from the back.

Next: Players Needing Form: Kris Russell