Rittich will tend the twine for Thursday's homestand against the Lightning, Derek Wills of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rittich will make his sixth consecutive appearance in the crease, having posted a 3-2-0 record and 1.65 GAA in his last five contests. The coaching staff appears to be comfortable riding the hot hand, and right now that is Rittich rather than Mike Smith. As long as the youngster will need to hold off challenges from Smith if he wants to maintain his role as the No. 1 netminder.

Rittich will draw his third straight start Tuesday night against the Stars, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Flames appear to be easing 36-year-old goalie Mike Smith back from his undisclosed injury, and there seems to be plenty of confidence that Rittich can hold down the fort in the meantime. He's won three of the past four games with a 1.52 GAA and .949 save percentage over that span. "He's continued to evolve," Flames coach Bill Peters said of Rittich. "He just played his first back-to-back games in the NHL. Came through that, I thought, with flying colors." Rittich owners will hope for more of the same as 6-foot-3, 206-pound backstop gets set to take on a Stars team that has lost four straight games.

Rittich stopped 26 of 28 shots in Sunday's 7-2 rout of the Blues.

EDGE Analysis

The Flames handed him a 4-0 lead before the first period was over, and Rittich had little difficulty cruising to his third straight win. The 26-year-old now boasts an 11-3-1 record on the year with a .925 save percentage, and Mike Smith's recent undisclosed injury may have opened the door for Rittich to push for a real audition in the No. 1 role.

Rittich will start in the road crease versus the Blues on Sunday, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rittich had an excellent showing against the Wild on Saturday -- he turned aside 34 of 35 shots in a 2-1 win -- so the Flames will put him back in the net for the second straight day. The Blues have put together two straight wins and scored four goals in each matchup, so Rittich will have his work cut out for him.

Rittich turned aside 34 of 35 shots in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Wild.

EDGE Analysis

The 26-year-old continues to give the Flames a steady presence in net when called upon, allowing a single goal in two straight starts and more than three goals only once all season. Rittich now boasts a 10-3-1 record, 2.22 GAA and .925 save percentage through 17 games, and while Mike Smith (undisclosed) remains at the top of the depth chart, Calgary may begin to shift the workload more towards the younger netminder.

Rittich will be between the pipes for Saturday's road clash with Minnesota, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rittich will man the pipes while Mike Smith (undisclosed) remains sidelined. Prior to coming into relief versus the Flyers on Wednesday, Rittich went 0-2-1 with a 3.05 GAA in four outings. Depending on Smith's health, the Czech netminder could get the start in both games of the back-to-back Saturday and Sunday against the Wild and Blues, respectively.

Rittich gave up just one goal on 30 shots versus Edmonton on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to secure the win.

EDGE Analysis

It was a fantastic outing by Rittich, who was let down by his offense and outdueled by opposing netminder Mikko Koskinen. Despite the 26-year-old Rittich's strong performance, he figures to be back on the bench considering starter Mike Smith is riding a six-game winning streak. The Flames do have a back-to-back Saturday and Sunday, versus Minnesota and St. Louis respectively, so look for the Ontario native to start one of those two contests.

Rittich will start in goal Sunday night versus host Edmonton, Derek Wills of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rittich has been involved in the Battle of Alberta on three occasions, with the Czech goalie going 1-1-1 with a 2.90 GAA and .889 save percentage against these Oilers. For broader context, consider that Rittich will square off against a team that is 10-7-1 within the Western Conference, albeit one that is ranked 19 spots lower than the Flames in terms of offense by means of averaging 2.76 goals per game.

Rittich permitted three goals on 14 shots from the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Mike Smith relieved him for the final two periods and skated away with a 9-6 road win.

EDGE Analysis

Flames coach Bill Peters clearly didn't think that Rittich had it going tonight, as the Blue Jackets potted three unanswered goals to the detriment of the Czech backstop in about a 10-minute span. Smith wasn't much better, as he surrendered three goals on 16 shots, but the Flames rallied behind the 36-year-old netminder and ended up with their second nine-goal outing of the two-month-old season.

Rittich will defend the road net against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rittich initially appeared to have stolen Mike Smith's starting role in Calgary, but Smith has been spectacular with three straight wins to complement a .940 save percentage over the last four games. However, this is a good problem to have for the Flames, as Rittich has been dependable in his own right with a 2.21 GAA and .924 save mark over 13 games. The 26-year-old's next challenger is a Columbus team that's ranked fourth by means of averaging 3.75 goals per game at the home rink.