The Calgary Flames‘ crease is a little less crowded today.
Head coach Bob Hartley expressed his frustration with his club’s goaltending earlier this week, saying he was “sick and tired of the musical chairs,” with Jonas Hiller and Karri Ramo. It appears Ramo has run out of opportunities to step up and grab the No. 1 job, as the Flames placed the 29-year-old on waivers Wednesday.
Ramo allowed four goals on 18 shots in the Flames’ 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals Tuesday. The workload will now be split between Hiller and 24-year-old Joni Ortio.
Ramo was 0-3 with a 4.37 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage. Hiller hasn’t been much better with a 3.71 goals-against average and .867 save percentage to go along with a 1-2 record in four starts.
It’s been a tough start to the season for the Flames, who sit last in the Pacific Division with a 1-5 record. They made a significant splash on the trade market this past off-season by acquiring defenceman Dougie Hamilton from the Boston Bruins. They also added forward Michael Frolik through free agency.
The Flames were one of the league’s biggest surprises last season, riding a high shooting percentage to the playoffs and upsetting the Vancouver Canucks in the opening round.
Ramo is earning $3.8 million this season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
