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The Calgary Flames will have an early afternoon game today as they prepare to play against the Anaheim Ducks at 4PM(ET).
Coming off a close game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, the Flames have a little extra jump in their step despite losing the game in the dying seconds of the third period.
Calgary who had a two goal lead would eventually allow a few goals late in the third period of the game, a game which they felt they deserved to win.
“Reto kept us in the game and he did everything he could then stuff like that happens?” said Baertschi. “There are nights like that where you work really hard for it and you think you deserve it but in the end you walk out with a kick in the butt.”
And speaking of which, the Calgary Flames team and coaching staff have been quite impressed with the play of goaltender Reto Berra, and for good reason. His athletic style of tending has been providing the team their best chances at winning games, and it is no surprise to coach Bob Hartley who saw a lot of him prior to their time together in Calgary. What’s more is that the guy who scored two goals on him last game also had a few good things to say.
“He was getting 50 or 60 shots a night there, and was the best player night-in, night-out on our team,” Kane said. “I know there’s not a lot of spots for that position in the NHL — there’s only 30 teams — but I knew that he wanted to make it happen and come over and play ...
“I played with him for two or three months, played with him at the Spengler Cup. He’s just a guy that seems to love playing goaltender and loves competing, so I’m sure he’s happy to be over here.”
I have thrown a few tidbits like these in my blogs of late, but there is one thing that continues to bother me despite the results so far – not playing Karri Ramo. As I have mentioned, I can acknowledge that the coaching staff and players feel confident with Berra in net and that further he has played well, but on a team like the Flames who are amidst a rebuild, they should be developing their goalies equally.
Now I understand that the team wants to remain competitive and not elicit a losing environment, if you will, but the fact of the matter is Ramo has not played for nearly a full month now and he was brought over (and) signed to play, not keep the bench warm. While his numbers have not been great, neither has the team’s defensive play during those turnouts, either. That said, I feel the team really needs to give Ramo a few games to get into the groove himself and perhaps create some goaltending competition.
Moving into today’s game, the Ducks are going to be a tough contest for the Flames as they are the only team in the league to have not lost a game at home in regulation. While this will play to their advantage, the Ducks are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars which would be the most goals they’ve allowed all year. With the Flames possibly having a little extra jump in their step after the Chicago game, and the Ducks looking to extend their home record, today should be a good game.
The big disadvantage for the Flames tonight is that they will be without two of their strongest offensive contributors in Dennis Wideman and rookie Sean Monahan. Wideman is expected to be out 6-8 weeks with a fractured hand and Monahan was placed on IR with a fractured foot. The timeline for Monahan, at this point, is week-week.
Already missing Mark Giordano in addition to the recent injury news which can really deflate a team, when asked about how it would affect the Flames, GM Jay Feaster added to they would not be used as excuses - “They're not a crutch, no pun intended, to lean on.” This is a positive message to add to the club as the constant message being sent by this club is the “No B.S.” attitude, followed by “work hard or sit”.
As mentioned, today’s game will be a big test for the team and the veterans who remain. The injuries will also give a few chances to players who may have not been getting ice time to step up and take advantage of the opportunity to shine such as Sven Baertschi and Mikael Backlund.
Reto Berra appears to be getting the start once again, and there are minimal changes to the lineup as they have recalled Paul Byron from the Abbotsford Heat.
Thanks for reading!
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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