If Mike Keenan gets the pink slip in Calgary, don't be surprised if Miikka Kiprusoff offers to be the one delivering it.
Something is amiss in Cowtown. It is safe to say Keenan might be inside the head of his star goaltender.
With apologies to the late, great Knute Rockne, the Calgary Flames just can't seem to win one for the Kipper.
Or perhaps I am dyslexic. Maybe it is the other way around.
Keenan's iron fist yanked Kiprusoff from last night's debacle in Detroit, where he gave up three goals on 15 shots and took a puck off the dome.
I am starting to think Kiprusoff is the latest to join that rather long line of players who can't stand Keenan.
Whatever the case, Miikka Kiprusoff's less-than-stellar numbers must be causing plenty of worry along the Red Mile. The thought of an early spring in southern Alberta won't be very comforting.
Of course, Kiprusoff is not helping himself escape Keenan's doghouse. Including last night's meltdown in Motown, his save percentages in his past six starts, in order, were 800, .913, .857, .952, .810 and .938.
Those numbers are more up and down than Jiri Tlusty's drawers.
Just weeks after signing a rather lush contract extension that will keep him in Calgary another five years, Kiprusoff has been playing like some junior B retread.
It could be Kiprusoff isn't seeing eye to eye with Keenan behind closed doors. That's not outside the realm of possibility.
I'm betting that's the case and one is on his way out of Calgary. Chances are it won't be Kiprusoff.
Whatever the issue, the Flames better find a way to get it sorted out quickly.
Without Kiprusoff, this team is going nowhere.