WASHINGTON — No one can diss Karri Ramo for being dead set on not starting up where he left off.
Where he left off, after all, would be back on April 9th, 2009, and a 4-2 loss. At the hands — insert irony here — of the Washington Capitals.
“Well, it’s a new start for my NHL career, I guess,” hedged the rangy Finnish puck-repeller, who Thursday relaunches his North American dream when the Calgary Flames kick off their long-delayed rebuild against Alexander Ovechkin and the 2013-2014 edition of the Caps at the Verizon Centre, “but my hockey career is just continuing.
“I don’t have to do anything different here. It’s the same game.”
Ramo’s Lightning career ended inauspiciously following that loss to Washington, mopping up the last 25 minutes and 51 seconds for a shell-shocked Mike McKenna in a 6-2 drubbing at Atlanta two nights later.
But the April 9th game represents Ramo’s final start before fleeing to the Kontinental Hockey League.
A more pleasant entry in his personal memory banks, undoubtedly, would be his first NHL start, Dec. 20th, 2007.
“It was,” recalled Ramo, “against the Maple Leafs, in Tampa Bay. We won 2-1. That was a while back. I’ve played a lot of hockey since then but I remember. Of course.”
For now, Maritimer Joey MacDonald rides the pine here and Reto Berra preps in Abbotsford while Ramo, who the Flames invested $5.8 million in over two seasons, endeavours to land the job with a solid first interview.
Sorry, but a 99-48-22 record, .923 save percentage and itsy-bitsy 2.01 GAA over three seasons in the ‘K’ isn’t going to have Alexander Ovechkin petrified with dread.
“This is going to be a good challenge for him,’’ said coach Bob Hartley of Ramo facing up to the offensively-gifted Capitals. “We talked with Karri yesterday. We talked with Mac. Obviously the discussion was different from one to the other because they’re two different cases.
“With Karri, he was in Tampa as a young guy, didn’t really know about North American hockey and about the NHL, so it was new. Now he got a taste and I think that he can really use his experience in Tampa to benefit his stay over here.
“And they’re (both) well aware that Reto Berra is a one-hour flight away from coming back so the battle is not won for no one.”
That uncertainty, the hovering threat of replacement,
“You have to play well if you want to play,” he reasoned with a well-whaddaya-expect? shrug. “Being a goalie there’s a lot of pressure. I don’t think it’s different here than anywhere else.
“It was always a goal to get back (to the NHL) at some point. It (seems) a little faster. Everything happens a little faster. You have to be ready, all the time.”
Does he expect the nerves to be ’a-jangling as the finals strains of the Star Spangled Banner fade away around 7:10 local time?
“You have certain feeling for all games,” is the reply. “But that’s what makes it fun. You’re always really excited to play. At the end of the game, it’s just a game, another day.
“You can’t be afraid of mistakes.”
The Caps may have dropped their season opener at the United Centre but a quick roster check provides plenty to be anxious about. Newbie Mikhail Grabovski rang up a hat trick, Ovechkin notched a pair of points and the PP hit for four goals. They’ll be smarting from the loss, jacked by their fans and eager to atone in the home opener.
“They have a lot of talented players,” agreed Ramo. “Always you like to see a lot of pucks but they have a really good power play so we have to make sure we stay out of the box. We can’t take stupid penalties or it’s going to be a tough night.”
Start up where he left off?
Not if Karri Ramo can help it.
Given the apple-cheeked demographics of this Flames’ group, a dependable last line of defence is not, but imperative in the. Slipshod goaltending not only loses games for young team, it crushes confidence and sets back progress to the Dark Ages.
“Obviously,” he said. “you have to stop pucks if you want to continue to play.”
So, as expected, Karri Ramo has been entrusted with Thursday.
About Friday, and beyond? That’s totally up to him.
But if he is at all antsy about the task put before him, the man was doing a good job camouflaging it on the eve of combat. Minutes after exiting the ice in the wake of Wednesday’s final pre-puck-drop full practice, he was quizzed about the differences he saw in the league between early April 2009 and early October 2013.
“Well,” replied an impish Ramo, scanning the rather cramped visiting quarters at the Verizon Centre, “the locker-rooms are nicer.”
Follow George Johnson on Twitter/GeorgejohnsonCH