[Dion]

Karri Ramo repaying Calgary Flames for recent trust

“We gave him a little mission and Karri has responded real well,” Hartley said after Friday’s practice.

“He’s probably one of the best competitors that I’ve coached. Right now, it’s all about confidence. When things go well, you ride the wave and when things go wrong, you have to turn it around. Karri has turned it around.”

Since his brief assignment to the minors, Ramo has cobbled together an 11-5-1 record, 2.56 average and .912 save percentage.

The key moment, though, was Hartley’s decision to stick with the netminder after a 6-3 loss in Colorado on Nov. 3, a night in which Ramo surrendered five goals, instead of turning the revolving door.

In the 15 games since, Ramo has posted a 10-4-1 record, 2.31 average and .924 save percentage.

“I don’t know what they were thinking but sometimes that’s the best way to go, just let everybody settle things out and find their game,” Ramo said. “Right now, it’s working for us.”

“When you play a lot of games in a row … you progress. You get better,” he said. “It’s not, ‘I’m now playing my game and try to keep my level.’ I try to get better and the more games you play, you build on the next one.”

“It doesn’t matter what happens in a previous game,” Ramo argued, giving a glimpse of his approach. “None of those goals count in the next game and none of those stats count into the next game. You have to be able to shut it out.”

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/12/18...r-recent-trust