Calgary Flames Trusting Ramo As First Choice?
By Luke Ryan
At the start of the season, there was a clear question for the Calgary Flames as to who their first choice goaltender would be. Has this been answered finally?
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Now granted, there’s been injuries aplenty and Karri Ramo only found himself back with the Calgary Flames courtesy of one of these mishaps. Has he finally managed to nail down the spot as the first-choice starter between the pipes in spite of all the drama?
Statistically speaking, the Finn hasn’t had the strongest year but neither have his colleagues. Both Jonas Hiller and Joni Ortio have posted worse numbers, albeit with smaller sample sizes.
Of late, this has all changed. A December record of six wins and two losses, with a save percentage of 0.923 and goals against average of 2.23, according to ESPN statistics, reflecting an upsurge in form for both Ramo and the Calgary Flames.
Continuing to post these sorts of numbers certainly cements his place between the pipes for the Calgary Flames.
Darren Haynes on Twitter posted the following graph which shows the upwards trend in Ramo’s form since bottoming out in November:
After bottoming out at an .868 SV% on Halloween, Karri Ramo has gone 10-5-1 with a .916 since the start of November. pic.twitter.com/z0qduzGqDv
— Darren Haynes (@DarrenWHaynes) December 18, 2015
It could’ve all been so different too; after all, it was the heroics of Jonas Hiller that back-stopped the Calgary Flames into the play-offs last season. Ramo would’ve likely still been down with the Stockton Heat if it weren’t for the Swiss goalie going down injured in late October.
You only need look at his performances in the 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars or the 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets to realize that something about his mindset has changed. He’s playing like a guy possessed right now; one that wants to keep the starting job come what may.
Hopefully, the form can continue and this is the end to the Calgary Flames goaltending woes. It seems unlikely though especially as various rumors are still looming around about alternate options between the pipes.
Next: Should Flames Deal Jiri Hudler?
What do you think of Karri Ramo’s upsurge in form? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.