ANAHEIM -- The Calgary Flames turn to netminder Karri Ramo against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series on Sunday night.
Calgary head coach Bob Hartley announced Friday afternoon that Ramo, who came on in relief of starter Jonas Hiller early in the second period of a 6-1 Game 1 loss against Anaheim on Thursday night, would get the start in goal in Game 2.
"I met with Jonas this morning, I met with Karri this morning and Rams will be our starting goalie," Hartley said Friday.
Hartley lifted Hiller during Game 6 of the Flames' first-round series against Vancouver after Hiller gave up two first-period goals. Though he gave up a goal on the first shot he faced, Ramo got the win as the Flames eliminated the Canucks to advance to a second round for the first time since their trip to the 2004 Stanley Cup finals.
But Hartley went back to Hiller, a former Duck who was 3-2 in the first round with a .931 save percentage, in Game 1 against his former teammates on Thursday. He lasted just 22:13 and allowed three goals on 14 shots before giving way to Ramo.
"Last night I felt that he (Hiller) was not at his best. We have to be honest. Last night I gave him the third goal and I felt at the same time you never know what can happen," Hartley said.
"I'm not a fan of pulling goalies for no reason but at the same time I felt like last night he was not on his game, we were not on our game," the coach added.
Ramo allowed three goals on 21 shots on Thursday.
The Flames were outmatched physically in Game 1, as they allowed two goals in each of the three periods.
Hartley is hoping Ramo, who was 15-9-3 with a .912 save percentage during the regular season, can spark the team and help the Flames even the best-of-seven series.
In other Flames news, Hartley said he expected agitating winger Micheal Ferland to return to the lineup even though he played just 5:24 in Game 1.
Hartley insisted that Ferland, an important figure in the Flames' first-round series victory over Vancouver with two goals and two assists, does not have a head injury even though he took a couple of hard hits in Game 1 and was already banged-up from the first round.
"His head is fine. His head is fine. We don't lie on injuries. There's nothing wrong with his head," Hartley said. "I expect Micheal Ferland to play."
The coach did not specifically mention another key player who missed much of Game 1, Jiri Hudler, although he did say that all of the Flames' players are "all day to day."
"We expect all of our players to be in the lineup (Sunday) but at the same time we'll let the medical staff work," Hartley said.
Hudler played just 6:59. He plays on the team's top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan and had three goals and three assists in the first round.