With Karri Ramo having a tough last month in the SM-liiga, the Pelicans today decided to try and buoy his confidence by allowing him to suit up for their Junior-A team. Ramo responded by shutting out Blues A 2-0 today stopping 18 of 18 shots faced to garner secpmd star honors. The shutout moved Ramo back to first in SM-liiga Jr. A in save percentage.
The going in the SM-liiga has been tough lately for Karri Ramo. Despite some valiant efforts the young netminder has been buried behind a string of 40 shot, 5 goal allowed games and the Pelicans' lack of talent has finally caught up to Ramo. Still, Ramo did manage to beat Ilves yesterday 4-3 in OT, stopping 24 of 27 shots. He has slipped overall to a .905 sv% and 3.77 GAA.
However, it is important to note again that Ramo is playing against full grown men in the SM-liiga. Against junior competition, he posted what still stands as the second best sv% in Junior A behind only highly touted Tuukka Rask. Rask is expected to be as high as a top-ten pick if and when the 2005 Entry Draft ever happens.
And, last week in the 5 Nations U-19 tournament Ramo more than held his own in posting the tournament's best GAA. Ramo went 1-1 dropping his first game of the tournament 3-2 in penalty shots to the Czech Republic before rebounding to shut out Switzerland 3-0 stopping 17 of 17 shots.
Boltprospects had already learned from the Lightning organization that its European scouts were dancing in the streets about the meteoric rise of goaltender Karri Ramo in the SM-liiga. However, after today's 4-2 victory over Tapparra, somersaults may be even more appropriate.
Even in defeat, young Karri Ramo continues to impress in his debut season in Finland's SM-liiga. Today, Ramo managed to carry his last place Pelicans into overtime deadlocked at 1-1 against 5th place Lukko Rauma before finally conceeding the game winning goal to Boston's Hal Gill.
Despite the loss, Ramo was named the game's second star after stopping 29 of 31 shots.
Lightning goaltending prospect Karri Ramo, who was selected in the 6th round of the 2004 draft, fell 5-0 today at the hands of JYP. Ramo stopped 43 of 48 shots in the loss (.896 sv%). For the young Finnish netminder, some solace can be taken in the way he held his team into the game even against an onslaught of JYP shots.