THREE GOALIES, ONLY ONE NET
Flames haven’t made any decisions
For more than three months, this has been a three-man race to the starter’s crease. So what’s another day? Or more? Typically, National Hockey League squads ice their Game 1 lineups for pre-season finales.
So, tellingly, in net for the Calgary Flames on Saturday against the visiting Winnipeg Jets? Drum roll, please … “Not sure yet,” coach Bob Hartley said Friday at the Saddledome.
Any one of the Flames’ netminding threesome — 33-year-old Jonas Hiller, 29-year-old Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio, 24 — will need to clear waivers before they can be dispatched to Stockton of the American Hockey League.
Even in the aftermath of Thursday’s 3-1 loss in Winnipeg — with Ortio between the pipes — Hartley seemed no closer to declaring, well, anything.
“It’s not always ( how you play) your final game,” he said.
“Obviously, your final game can really help you or, at some points, can hurt you. But it’s the bulk of your work ... you look at (a player’s) past season, at his past history.
“So I think it’s unfair to put all the importance on one game. One game doesn’t make a career.”
THE PRE- SEASON BOILED DOWN:
Hiller: 2-0-0, 1.01 GAA, .965, 119 minutes
Ortio: 1-2-0, 1.62 GAA, .946, 148 minutes
Ramo: 1-0-0, 1.82 GAA, .949, 132 minutes
No one — coaches nor ’keepers — wants all three men here for the regular season.
But might the Flames still have all three chaps around Wednesday when they host the Vancouver Canucks?
“Could be, could be,” said Hartley.
“Right now, we have three goalies and the battle at that position keeps going on, too.”
COLBORNE STAYING POSITIVE
Somehow, Joe Colborne found the bright side of breaking his right thumb on Thursday night.
It gives his surgically repaired left wrist more time to mend.
“It was a rough flight coming home (from Winnipeg),” said the 25-year-old, who was hurt blocking a shot from Andrew Ladd.
“But you know what? If anything, it’s just going to let me rehab the wrist a little longer. I’m trying to find any positive I can right now. It’s the game. Sometimes things like this just come at you.
“I’m going to try to take the positive out of this and make sure that, when I come back, both hands will be ready to go.”
Sidelined week to week — probably no surgery is necessary — the big forward plans to soon join T.J. Brodie ( hand) for practice-ice bag skates.
“Which is no fun,” said Colborne, “so that’s something I get to look forward to.”
WOTHERSPOON NEEDS WORK
Perennially close to cracking the Calgary lineup — and a frequentflyer call-up — Tyler Wotherspoon was among the final cuts. Yet again.
What’s the message to the 22-year-old defenceman?
“We sat with him and we told him, ‘ You need to be a little tougher on yourself. You need to be more demanding,’ ” said Hartley.
“We told him he basically let those two guys (Brett Kulak and Ryan Wilson) step right in front of him.”
HATHAWAY IMPRESSES
There were no complaints about Garnet Hathaway’s display.
The right winger, assigned to AHL Stockton on Friday, left a favourable impression.
“We’re very happy,” Hartley said of the 23-year-old.
“Obviously, you look at our lineup right now — he’s behind those guys, but he’s knocking at the door. The way this kid is committed, I wouldn’t be surprised … we might see him in Calgary this year.”
PLACE YOUR BETS
Feeling lucky? Or smart? Here are point-total over/unders, from Bodog’s oddsmakers, for some of the local players: Johnny Gaudreau — 66.5 Sean Monahan — 61.5 Jiri Hudler — 60.5 Mark Giordano — 52.5 Dougie Hamilton — 40.5 By the way, for Edmonton Oilers rookie Connor McDavid, the line is drawn at 69.5.