The climb back to respectability just got a whole lot steeper for the Calgary Flames.
Kilimanjaro-steep.
The club’s attempt to bounce back from a horrific 6-10-1 start was dealt a big blow in Minnesota Tuesday when Johnny Gaudreau broke his finger, setting up Wednesday afternoon surgery.
It occurred early in the third period when Eric Staal slashed Gaudreau’s hand – the third intentional such whack of the night from a team clearly targeting Gaudreau.
Coach Glen Gulutzan hadn’t spoken to Gaudreau since he left the game, but he’s going on the assumption he’ll be without his star player for 4-6 weeks.
“I’m just preparing for the worst-case scenario, but we won’t know anything on this injury until we hear from the doctors,” said Gulutzan, who will move centre Sam Bennett to the left wing on the top line alongside Sean Monahan and Troy Brouwer.
“It’s a character test and an opportunity for a lot of guys.”
No one more so than Bennett who was moved to the wing one game earlier after yet another frustrating start to his season with little offensive rewards.
“He’s 20 years old playing centre in the NHL – and he’s a good centreman – but I look at how long Tyler Seguin played wing in Boston,” said Gulutzan of the rationale behind putting him on the wing.
“It’s a hard league. He was getting tough matchups against guys like (Anze) Kopitar and (Ryan) Getzlaf. He’ll play centre again. Sometimes putting a guy on the wing takes a little pressure off. You can be a little freer and a little more offensive.”
Back to Gaudreau, who revealed late last year he’d never missed a game due to injury in his life – an incredible feat given he’s 5-foot-9, 159 pounds.
That streak is over.
What makes the loss more dramatic is the fact it came in the midst of what some would like to have pointed at as a breakthrough outing from Gaudreau and his limping squad.
On a team that has been dreadful defensively, even worse on the power play and let down by all of its top stars the first 16 games, it all seemed to have been rectified Tuesday. Not only had Gaudreau scored the only goal of the game, he did it on the power play in a game in which the club battened down the hatches defensively to win 1-0.
“I think he was feeling it and starting to go,” said Gulutzan, who’d watched Gaudreau struggle to just five goals and 11 points in 17 outings while going minus-10.
“Even though he played in the World Cup, he missed three weeks and training camp, but I think he was starting to find his groove. But these things happen. Everybody has to go through this stuff.”
And that’s what the fan base in Calgary clearly needs to be reminded of as they raise a stink over the fact Gaudreau is lost to the team at a crucial juncture.
He’s not the first star in the league to be targeted nightly with a regular diet of lumber to the hands, wrist and arms.
It’s a common tactic, which the Flames drew to the attention of the officials after the second period, to no avail.
Asked if greater team toughness could have prevented the injury, Gulutzan bristled.
“I don’t agree with that,” said the coach.
“The whacks Johnny is taking, if you look at Dallas, we responded. Ferlie (Michael Ferland) responded (with a fight). You can only do so such. When guys are swinging sticks on power plays and penalty kills – and they’re not vicious swings – they’re slashes. Hey, we’re not new to the game – we’ve seen this for years. We’ve had conversations about other stars around the league. It’s just the way it is.”
Ryan Suter and Staal both gave Gaudreau solid lashes before the damaging blow, which is a natural response in the NHL when shifty stars like Gaudreau dance near or around you.
This was different only because it resulted in a significant injury.
Some blame the officials for letting it happen, which Gulutzan shrugged off when asked if the league should crack down more.
“I think that’s up to the league,” he said.
Either way, the damage has been done.
And nothing could have prevented it, agreed Troy Brouwer.
“It’s an unfortunate circumstance,” said Brouwer who lost two teeth in Minnesota.
“I know in my game I give a lot of top players good whacks and stuff. You obviously don’t want to let it be happening to your team, but star players are going to be keyed on. It’s no different than what we do.”
Optimists will look to the Mark Giordano injury two years ago when his late-season injury ended the defenceman’s season in the midst of a Norris Trophy-like campaign. Many believed the loss would effectively eliminate any chance the Flames had at continuing their unlikely playoff pursuit.
However, the team dug deep, filled Giordano’s position by committee and not only squeaked into the playoffs but won a round without their star player.
Given the Flames uninspired start, the playoffs are a pipe dream unless the club turns the corner soon.
And that just got a whole lot harder to do without the league’s sixth-leading scorer in the lineup.
