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Hiller dropped in, right off the bat defused a bang-bang sequence from the keen hosts, then watched as his teammates went down the ice and scored.

Joe Colborne’s goal, 1:59, stood up as the winner.

“From one second to the next, you have to change your mindset,” Hiller said of relieving Ramo. “From being a spectator, you’re suddenly the goalie out there. It wasn’t easy, but it worked out well.

“It’s been like that the whole year. If I get the chance, I love to play.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Demharter was hustling madly across the city.

Demharter had been enjoying a night out with his girlfriend, having supper at Brewsters in the west side of Edmonton and watching hockey on television. So he saw Ramo hobble off the ice. That was surprising.

So was the call he received 10 minutes later. It was his University of Alberta Golden Bears manager Stan Marple telling him to report to Rexall Place immediately to serve as the Flames’ backup.

No fool, Demharter refused to believe the offer.

“I thought they were kidding,” said the 25-year-old native of Spruce Grove, Alta. “There are three Bears goalies, and two of them happened to be out of town. So I was next in the pecking order.”

Finally convinced, he raced to the U of A to fetch his gear, then rushed to the rink in time for the second period. He suited up, tugged on a No. 70 jersey, and sat in the visitors’ dressing room – waiting.

“They said, ‘Hang out here for now. If we need you we’ll let you know,’ ” said Demharter. “If it happened, it happened. But I wasn’t hoping for anyone else to get injured, that’s for sure.