Rittich allowed five goals on 33 shots in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Sharks.

EDGE Analysis

It was a tough day. Rittich got almost no support from his teammates and the Sharks sent wave after wave of shooters at him. His record slips to 8-6-3 with the loss.

Rittich will rough up the visitor's crease Saturday against the Sharks, the Flames' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rittich stopped four of the five shots he faced in relief of Mike Smith on Wednesday against the Ducks and will receive a look in the cage Saturday as Smith gets a night off. Most of Rittich's action -- 14 of 20 appearances -- has come on the road this season. Over those 14 matchups, the 25-year-old netminder has accumulated a 2.59 GAA and a .917 save percentage to earn an 8-3-2 record. He faces a tough challenge to improve that record, squaring off against a Sharks club averaging four goals per game in March.

Rittich stopped four of five shots in the third period, as the damage was mostly done in a 4-0 loss to Anaheim on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

That's now twice in less than a week where Rittich has come in during a backup situation. That's not ideal for any team, and it could lead to Rittich getting another chance to start. If the Flames go in that direction, he could make a solid cheap play in a daily situation with the right matchup.

Rittich made seven saves on seven shots in relief of Mike Smith during a 7-4 loss to the Sharks on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

The 25-year-old kept the Flames in the game, but the damage was already done once he took the net early in the third period. Coming back from injury, Smith is still trying to find his game, so don't be surprised if Rittich receives another start soon. Depending on the matchup, Rittich could be a good streaming option, as he owns a .968 save percentage over his last three appearances.

Rittich allowed one goal on 30 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Senators on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

The one goal he yielded let the Senators make things interesting in the final few minutes, but Rittich posted his second straight 1-goal performance. However, Rittich has been up and down during his rookie campaign, and it's probably too early to make any decisions off this latest mini hot streak. These last two stellar performance came against two of the weakest offensive teams in the league - Buffalo and Ottawa. Owners should see how he does in his next start before fully trusting him in standard formats.

Rittich will start in goal Friday evening, fielding shots from host Ottawa, Derek Wills of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

EDGE Analysis

The rookie has naturally experienced peaks and valleys in his debut campaign. After coughing up 11 goals combined in losses to the Golden Knights and Avalanche, respectively, he prevailed over the Sabres with a 25-save gem. Yes, Buffalo is known as one of the NHL's weaker clubs, but it's nice to know that Rittch is capabale of busting out of a slump in short order. He'll face another team that won't make the playoffs in Ottawa, who reportedly will counter with Mike Condon.

Rittich stopped 25 shots in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Sabres.

EDGE Analysis

It's his first win in five games, and the first time Rittich has allowed fewer than two goals in a start since mid-December. Mike Smith (lower body) seems close to returning to action, but it's not yet clear whether Rittich or Jon Gillies will be the goalie sent down to AHL Stockton to make room.

Rittich will guard the cage in Wednesday's road game against the Sabres.

EDGE Analysis

Rittich has struggled in his last two outings, suffering back-to-back defeats to the Golden Knights and Colorado while registering an unsightly 5.60 GAA and .814 save percentage over that span. The 25-year-old netminder will look to get back on track and pick up his seventh victory of the campaign in a road matchup with a Sabres team that's only averaging 2.38 goals per game at home this season, last in the NHL.

Rittich stopped 29 of 33 shots in a 5-2 loss to Colorado on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

The bottom line is that when Mike Smith (lower body) isn't healthy, the Flames' goaltending situation is tough to trust. After giving up 11 goals in his past two games, Rittich isn't someone who should be starting for your fantasy team right now. Unless you're desperate, it's best to avoid Calgary goaltenders until Smith is back to full strength.

Rittich will patrol the blue paint for Wednesday's matchup with Colorado, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rittich is 1-3-1 in his previous six outings, along with a 4.46 GAA -- not exactly the type of performance that will infuse confidence into fantasy owners. The 25-year-old will likely split netminding duties with Jon Gillies for the duration of Mike Smith's (lower body) absence.