"To set the record straight, Miikka Kiprusoff let it be known again Monday that he did not pull himself in the second period of Saturday's 7-2 blowout loss to the Washington Capitals.

From high above the ice in the press box, it looked like the Calgary Flames goaltender bolted straight for the bench on his own accord after Alex Semin scored the sixth Washington goal.

Not so, according to the man himself.

"No, I never do that," Kiprusoff said. "You don't want to do that there."

Most people in the Saddledome - including Kiprusoff himself - figured Henrik Karlsson would man the net the rest of the way for the Flames in a game that was clearly out of reach.

But head coach Brent Sutter tapped his No. 1 goalie to go back in for the final 20 minutes to face more of Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom.

"It was the first time for me," Kiprusoff said. "But I've seen that happen before. Like they say, you always have to be ready."

Any complaints?

"No, the coaches always make the call on who is playing," he said. "And then you play. I go with that."

Some big-name goalies may sulk if ordered to go back in the net after already being pulled.

Not this one.

"You expect your starting goaltenders to respond," Sutter said. "That's why they are who they are at this level. I just thought it was important for Kipper to go back in and be part of it. We wanted to get our game back. It got away from us in the second period.

"We wanted to get our focus back on what we are and how we wanted to play. I just thought personally it was important for Kipper to be part of that."

Kiprusoff has no time to worry the past with Tomas Holmstrom and the Detroit Red Wings coming to town Wednesday."