Ducks GM rips Giordano for knee-on-knee hit: 'He's done this before'
Bob Murray is less than impressed.
The Anaheim Ducks general manager isn't too happy with Calgary Flames blue-liner Mark Giordano after his knee-on-knee hit to Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler.
The play occurred in the third period of Tuesday's contest. Giordano was not whistled following the incident, but that didn't negate a response from the Ducks' Josh Manson, who dropped the gloves with the Flames captain.
Cam Fowler is out after an ugly knee injury. Awful news for him and the Ducks before the playoffs. https://t.co/jG6dVHi3E0 pic.twitter.com/cP1JdJadGX
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) April 5, 2017
"It was dismissed very quickly by the people in charge. That's their job. So I guess that's the standard. If that's the standard, that's the standard," Murray told Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. "The big thing in hockey today is concussions, but I still, as an old player, have no use for knee-on-knee hits, especially if I think they are somewhat intentional."
Murray did not elaborate if he believes the hit had an intent to injure.
"I hear how Gio is a good guy, and he's this and he's that," Murray added. "Well, he's done this before. I have no respect for people who go after knees. I'm sorry, but knees, they wreck your careers real quick. I don't like it."
Related - Carlyle: It's a 'travesty' Giordano wasn't penalized for Fowler hit
On Thursday, Anaheim announced Fowler will miss the next two-to-six weeks as a result of the injury. Depending on his return, that timeframe could keep him off the ice for part of the postseason.
It's a devastating loss for the Ducks, as Fowler leads all Anaheim blue-liners with 39 points. He's also first on the team in time on ice, averaging just under 25 minutes a night.
Tuesday's contest was the second in a home-and-home series between Calgary and Anaheim. The Ducks came away with the victory in both games, but tempers boiled over in the closing frame of the second game, as the two sides combined for 106 penalty minutes in the third period alone.
The Ducks took four of five regular-season meetings with the Flames this season, and the possibility remains the two sides could meet again in a playoff series.