'I'LL BE READY'

The forecast calls for sunny skies and a high temperature of 28 degrees this Wednesday.
That's positively scorching, around these parts, this close to October.
Even then, Dan Vladar might have to bundle up after what he and his girlfriend Andrea weathered over the summer.

"It was hot. Like, super hot," Vladar laughed of his bucket-list trip to Dubai. "It was literally 55 degrees - the complete opposite of a Calgary winter.
"But it was awesome. A pretty great way to celebrate my 25th birthday."
Vladar, who's entering Year 2 as the No. 2 behind Vezina finalist Jacob Markstrom, had every reason to celebrate. The 2021-22 campaign was his first as a full-timer at this level, and in doing so, firmly established himself as one of the better backups in the league. He posted a 13-6-2 record, along with a .906 save percentage, a 2.75 goals-against average and two shutouts in 23 appearances.
It was a season chalk-full of growth - both personally, and professionally with a Flames team that won the Pacific Division with the second-best record in franchise history.
But like any off-season, it was the perfect time to reset and ground himself.
Because what lies ahead will be an even greater challenge for this up-and-coming netminder.
"We like to travel," Vladar said. "I don't mind flying. My girl hates flying, but I don't mind it, so we always try to explore the new cultures and get some (perspective) about the world.
"Dubai was amazing, but we also went to see a soccer game in Milan. We had some great food, took some great pictures. Just the culture and everything there, it was amazing. Everybody is super chill.
"You have a siesta, where you can't even go to a restaurant between 2 o'clock and 6 because everything is shut down. We loved that culture, where everyone is so relaxed. Even when you get to a restaurant and order a water, it comes to you like 25 minutes later and no one cares. It's not a big deal because you're there to experience the atmosphere and each other's company.
"We had those trips and then we explored Czech a little bit more, too. We went to South Moravia and tried to learn more about where we're from. We tried to see as many family and friends as we could, as many times as we could. It's hard for them to get there with the travel and everything, so that was really the best part.
"It went quick. Super quick, honestly. But with about two weeks before we had our flight back, we already had our bags packed because we couldn't wait to get here."
His excitement was palpable in Sunday's preseason opener, when he stopped all 15 shots he faced through two periods in a 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Of those 15 pucks, at least five were of the 10-bell variety, including a miraculous left-toe save off Danila Klimovich, who took a backdoor feed from Tristen Nielsen but was denied on the goal-line.
"I felt good," Vladar said. "It was probably the best possible scenario for me, because I had some shots early in the game and that always helps any goalie after not playing for a while.
"I mean, our lineup was obviously pretty stacked, so I think we took over in the second period and started playing the way we wanted and had our offensive guys rolling.
"We did what we wanted to do and it's always nice to start things off with a win."
Vladar was replaced by Oscar Dansk - who figures to be the backup behind Dustin Wolf with the Calgary Wranglers this year - for the final 20 minutes.
But 40 minutes is often enough to shake off some of the early season rust and get your confidence back in game shape, as much as the body.
Vladar, who's a believer in Head Coach Darryl Sutter's '10% better' slogan as a means of tracking progression over the off-season, says he had one of the better summers of his career.
And we're not talking about dinner at CZN Burak Burger in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa.
Back home in Prague, he pushed himself harder than ever before and has come into camp ready for a long season. He knows his role and understands that Markstrom is far and away the team's go-to guy, but also takes pride in the fact those 23 games last year were as important as the rest.
Everyone plays a part.
And as the backup, you never know when you'll be called upon to be the hero.
"I love it," he said. "Last year, I felt good about how my game developed. I think I helped the team and it was awesome learning from and working with Marky.
"This year, nothing changes.
"You're always trying to get better - to push your partner and help your team win games.
"Whenever they need me, I'll be ready. It's on me to show what I've got and every time I get a chance, I'm thankful for the opportunity."