Article content Around town, the big question is who will be the goalie for Game 1. Behind closed doors, the Calgary Flames’ higher-ups are also thinking about the goalie of the future. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Flames sign Russian goalie Artyom Zagidulin Back to video The Flames added another crease candidate Tuesday, announcing the signing of Artyom Zagidulin to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2019-20 National Hockey League campaign. The 23-year-old from Russia posted a 12-7-3 record, a 1.96 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage in 25 regular-season nods this winter for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. Zagidulin is an unknown commodity in North America, but that was also the case when the Flames inked a 23-year-old masked man out of the Czech Extraliga in 2016. David Rittich, who also started on a one-year, entry-level audition, turned out to be a savvy signing, proving himself at AHL Stockton before playing an important role in the Calgary club’s cruise to top spot in the Western Conference standings this season. (Rittich will likely be the backup to Mike Smith for Thursday’s series-opener against the Colorado Avalanche.) Zagidulin, listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 lb., will try to follow that same path. wgilbertson@postmedia.com http://www.twitter.com/WesGilbertson<doc-sep>Mike Smith and David Rittich helped the Calgary Flames finish first in the NHL's Western Conference. Yet there are still questions about how far those goalies can carry their team in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Smith and Rittich sounds more like a law firm than the goaltending tandem anyone expected the NHL's second-best team to have. Smith is a 37-year-old veteran with a sub.-900 save percentage seven years removed from his last playoff action, while Rittich is a 26-year-old in his first full year in the league who would be getting his first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's not out of the realm of possibility the Flames split the duties like they did all season, and as a result they're one of several teams with goaltending questions as the playoffs begin. Winnipeg, San Jose and Toronto are among the other serious contenders with significant question marks in net at the wrong time of year. "We wouldn't be where we are without our goaltending," Calgary general manager Brad Treliving said. "We've gotten strong goaltending all year at the right time. What we've never really had is times in the year where both guys are maybe going through a little bit of a skid." Shaky tandem Treliving wouldn't be surprised if head coach Bill Peters uses both goalies in the playoffs, a "non-traditional" strategy but not one he thinks is a problem. Smith figures to start Game 1 of the first round against Colorado on Thursday, but it's up in the air after that. The Flames at least know they can turn to another goalie if one falters. San Jose, which had the worst team save percentage in the NHL at .889 will go with Martin Jones, but backup Aaron Dell has struggled plenty this season, too. The Sharks also open against the defending West champion Vegas Golden Knights, who have arguably the best goaltending situation in the playoffs assuming Marc-Andre Fleury is healthy. The Jets will ride goalie Connor Hellebuyck, pictured here, even though he hasn`t had his best NHL season. Also, backup Laurent Brossoit should be back for the series opener against St. Louis. (Trevor Hagan/Canadian Press/File) Winnipeg will ride with Connor Hellebuyck, even though Laurent Brossoit should be back from injury to back up in Game 1 Wednesday against St. Louis, which has out-of-nowhere phenom Jordan Binnington. Hellebuyck has not been quite as stellar this year as last when he carried a strong regular season into the West final, though that run could pay dividends this time around. "One thing that you can't substitute is experience," Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said. "Once you go through something and you experience it, you have a mental template of how you need to act and what you liked about it, what you didn't like about it. So now he's got that experience. He likes to play big games." Flyers-level goalie drama With big games to come against the Boston Bruins, Toronto's Frederik Andersen better be up to the task for the Maple Leafs to avoid a third consecutive first-round exit. Andersen is 3-3-3 with a 3.94 goals-against average and .881 save percentage in his last 10 games and wondered if injuries have thrown off his rhythm. "I think I've played more games and felt better" in previous seasons, Andersen said. "This year I've been banged up a little bit at times and obviously with the time I missed, it's been different." Frederik Andersen, the Leafs’ undisputed No. 1 goalie entering the playoffs, has posted a 3.94 goals-against average and .881 save percentage in his last 10 games. (Michael Dwyer/Associated Press/File) After head coach Mike Babcock said nothing is more important going into playoffs than a goaltender feeling good about himself, Andersen's response might not portend great things for Toronto. Add to that switching out regular backup Garret Sparks for Michael Hutchinson at the eleventh hour and there's Philadelphia Flyers-level goalie drama going on with the Maple Leafs. There's no drama with the Flames, who finished second in the league in goals behind Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay and are confident going into the playoffs. While Columbus acquired Keith Kinkaid from New Jersey for depth behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo, Calgary didn't come close to such a move and will roll along with Smith and Rittich. "That was not a discussion point for us," Treliving said. "They have a great relationship, they push each other, they cheer for each other when they're not in the net. I don't pay a whole lot of attention to things outside of our room. We just worry about ourselves inside that room, and I know our guys have a lot of confidence in both guys."<doc-sep>
Sure, 16 games might not be a pile of post-season appearances. But it’s 16 games more than David Rittich, who just wrapped up his first official campaign in the National Hockey League. Now 37, Smith backstopped the then-Phoenix Coyotes to the Western Conference final in 2012, a run by the underdog squad which featured standout goaltending. “I think we’ve talked about it for four days in a row now — how exciting it is to be back in the playoffs,” Smith said after Thursday’s morning skate. “I’m excited about the chance to be in the net for the first game and hopefully have a good outing and feel what it’s like to be back playing the most exciting hockey there is to play.” The decision was kept under wraps by the team for the entire lead-up to Thursday’s series-opener against the Colorado Avalanche, but it was easy to connect the dots considering the quality of Smith’s starts down the stretch, his improvement from a difficult start to the regular season and his playoff resume. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Rittich had great numbers, going 27-9-5 with a 2.61 goals against average and .911 save percentage. Those are better numbers than Smith, who was 23-16-2 with a 2.73 goals against average, and .898 save percentage. He did, however, have most of his finest performances over the past couple of months, allowing two goals or less in 10 of his past 13 starts. But the Flames are going with the safe options — the guy who has experienced the intensity and emotion of the Stanley Cup tournament. “It’s an exciting time,” Smith said. “The emotions are going to run high, but I think the experience in the past will help you through situations like this. I haven’t quite seen what it’s like to play in a Canadian market in a playoff game yet, but I’ve heard a lot about what it’s going to be like in here, and I’m excited to see it first-hand. You just want to keep your emotions in check, you want to be as calm as you can and be a calming influence for the rest of the guys in here, too. That will be my goal. “You have to embrace it the right way,” he added. “The game is no different. It’s just that it’s a bigger stage and it means a lot more. I’m not going to change anything. I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing the last few months and hopefully get a big win in Game 1.” The Flames’ first-round series kicks off with Game 1 Thursday night at the Saddledome. (8 p.m., CBC/Sportsnet 960 The Fan) We have a team of journalists reporting live to bring you exclusive analysis and sneak peeks inside the Saddledome as the big game approaches. Follow it here and join in on the conversation: