Flames' Miikka Kiprusoff day to day after lower-body injury

The Calgary Flames got a scare on Tuesday when Miikka Kiprusoff had to leave the game with a lower-body injury. The scare was mostly averted when the Flames announced on Wednesday that Kiprusoff's status is just day-to-day.

By Brian Stubits

Feb 6, 2013 at 2:11 pm ET • 1 min read

Kiprusoff started the first seven games this season for Calgary. (Getty Images)

The Calgary Flames got a pretty major scare Tuesday night when goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff had to leave the game with a lower-body injury.

It didn't cost the Flames the 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, but it was probably a terrifying moment for the Flames, who rely on Kiprusoff so much. You could make a really great argument that no player has meant more to his team in the past few years than Kiprusoff has meant to the Flames. He played at least 70 games in every season between the lockouts, a crazy workload for such a long time.

The scare was mostly averted when the Flames announced Wednesday that Kiprusoff's status is just day to day, great news indeed. But the injury should still serve as a bit of a wakeup call for the Flames; without him they are up the creek and looking for a paddle.

"I really believe that this is a short-term injury and over the next days, I'll work toward being ready as soon as possible," Kiprusoff said in a brief statement.

But right now he's obviously out, and that's why they signed Danny Taylor from the AHL Abbotsford Heat to a two-way deal to come in and serve as a backup while Kipper is out. The top gig, for the time being, will belong to Lelad Irving.

Kiprusoff hasn't missed a game due to injury since 2004. That's a pretty amazing run, particularly when he has been playing at 70 games every season for years now. But that's also meant that no other goaltenders have been phased in, there hasn't been much grooming, and up until now there has been little reason to force anyone in. Kiprusoff was a virtual guarantee to be between the pipes.

Just to underscore the point here: In their next game the Flames are going to have two goalies who have made a combined nine career appearances in the NHL.

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