Calgary Flames will turn to Karri Ramo in goal for Game 2

ANAHEIM – Hey Calgary coach Bob Hartley, you pulled Jonas Hiller in Thursday’s 6-1 Game 1 loss to Anaheim. It’s the second-straight game you’ve pulled him. So who are you going to start for Game 2 (nudge, nudge, wink, wink – Hiller right?) 

Nope.

“I met Jonas this morning and Karri and (Ramo) will be our starting goalie,” Harltey said.

Whoa! He said what?

Hartley is not going with Hiller, the former Duck who has been divinely given the chance to stick it to his former team. Then again, it makes sense. Hiller is not exactly the unquestioned ‘starter’ for Calgary, since the Flames have gone with him and Ramo for most of the year. And Hiller has allowed five goals on 17 shots on goal the last two games. And he was pulled early in the second period of Calgary’s Game 1 drubbing. 

“Against the Canucks, I was very open as to why we did it. I didn’t want to go back to Vancouver for Game 7, I wanted to spark the team and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” he said referring to his decision to yank Hiller in Game 6 of that series. 

Earlier Hartley noted “I’m not a fan of pulling goalies for no reason.”

So clearly this was thought out. And ruins a potential awesome storyline. But it’s not like Ramo was great against Anaheim either. He allowed three goals on 21 shots on goal by the Ducks.

This is not a panic move by Hartley. It’s a decision to try to figure out a way to win based off how Hiller has played of late.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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