‘BIG SAVE DAVE’ THRIVING WITH HEAVIER WORKLOAD
Flames backup Rittich one of NHL season’s biggest surprises, with 7-1 record, 1.93 GAA
Fans have started to call him “Big Save Dave.”
David Rittich, backup-turnedbreakout for the Calgary Flames, certainly doesn’t mind the moniker.
The key is to make it last. “I heard it first time, two days ago,” Rittich grinned after Monday’s 7-2 shellacking of the Vegas Golden Knights at the Saddledome. “It’s nice if someone give me this nickname, but it’s another nickname. I probably have some nicknames from last year — “Terrible, Terrible Dave” or something like that.”
Jeez, talk about being your own toughest critic.
He was never “Terrible, Terrible Dave,” but Rittich has been one of the NHL’s surprise stories this fall after a mixed-bag rookie campaign.
Although it wasn’t the most stressful night for the winning netminder, the 26-year-old from the Czech Republic was sharp once again in Monday’s rout.
Rittich now owns a sparkling 7-1 mark in eight starts this season. He hasn’t officially wrestled the No. 1 job away from Mike Smith, but he’s laid claim to Calgary’s crease at least temporarily, as his partner-in-pads has struggled mightily.
A fiery competitor on the ice and a fun-loving prankster once his work is done, Rittich was already a locker-room favourite. In the past few weeks, he has emerged as a fan favourite, too.
There’s no reason No. 33 shouldn’t be back between the pipes for Wednesday’s clash with the Winnipeg Jets at the Saddledome (8 p.m., Sportsnet West/ Sportsnet 960 The Fan).
“Just being that good teammate, that good team guy, the work ethic … That’s what guys feed off with David, his personality,” Flames goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet said recently of Rittich. “You know that he’s going to leave it all on the table every single game. Whether it’s a win or a loss, he’s going to compete and give you a chance. He’s never going to let you down from hard work. I think guys work hard for him because of that. They want to see him have success.
“You even watch when there’s a TV timeout, he’s over at the bench giving guys pats on the butt. If there’s a blocked shot, he’s the first one to go up to a guy and give them a tap on the pads. He appreciates what everyone does in front of him, and he’s going to give them back just as much as he can.”
The Flames are among the Pacific Division front-runners with a 12-8-1 record, but it might be a much different story if not for Big Save Dave.
Rittich was fooled twice by the Golden Knights and his stats actually worsened a wee bit, an indication of just how stingy he’s been so far this season.
His goals-against average of 1.93 is the second-best mark on the 31-team loop. The only guy he is trailing in that category had his name engraved on the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18.
What’s especially endearing about Rittich is he doesn’t seem to give a hoot about individual measures or accolades.
His post-game interviews almost always include a thankyou to teammates.
And how about his 24-save showing — including three breakaway denials — in Saturday’s Battle of Alberta?
“It’s my job,” he told reporters that night. “It’s a great feeling, but that’s why I’m in the net — making saves.”
Smith lost the net because he wasn’t making enough of them.
While the Flames work to rebuild the confidence of their usual starter, Rittich has seized his opportunity.
That wasn’t the case when Smith missed a month of action due to injury last winter. Despite solid stats as a backup, Rittich seemed overwhelmed by the pressure of suddenly being the go-to guy for a team that was fighting for a playoff invite, struggling to a 3-4-1 record with a cringeworthy .888 save percentage during that span.
Sigalet wanted to be sure that Rittich eventually benefited from that bummer. His troubles, he stressed, were not technical.
“Last year, when he got the net, I think he lost his personality a little bit,” Sigalet said. “He was almost too focused. I know that sounds weird, but he’s better when he’s loose and just treating every game like the same, whether you’re playing one in every seven games or you’re playing every night.
“I send him a text every night saying, ‘Be David Rittich. Same preparation, same way. Don’t change anything.’”
Next time Sigalet sends that text, perhaps he can just tell him: “Be Big Save Dave.”
If that nickname sticks, that would certainly be a good sign.
“Nobody calls me that in the locker-room, so it’s just inside of the fans,” Rittich said. “It’s a nice feeling they give me nice, nice nickname.”
Ice chips: The Flames assigned defenceman Dalton Prout to the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat on a conditioning stint. The 28-year-old Prout has been a spare part, suiting up for only one game while watching 20 others as a healthy scratch.