The Calgary Flames played one heck of a game with the Montreal Canadiens at the Saddledome. But their victory wasn’t without a cost. The Flames ended up losing defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Michael Stone due to injuries during the second half of the game.
Hamilton appeared to be hurt during a scrum in the Flames zone late in the second period. A Canadiens player fell and his skates seem to have caught Hamilton somewhere on his lower body. Hamilton left the ice immediately and didn’t return to the ice for the third period.
Stone appeared to be hurt in a defensive zone collision in the early third period. He left the ice immediately upon getting to his feet and also did not return.
In the absence of Hamilton and Stone, the Flames rolled with two defensive pairings: Mark Giordano with T.J. Brodie and Matt Bartkowski with Deryk Engelland. Obviously that’s not a long-term solution, so expect some combination of recalls from the Stockton Heat and/or Dennis Wideman returning to the line-up after an eight-game absence. It’s hard to say which of those possibilities are more likely.
Following the game, head coach Glen Gulutzan indicated that both players would be re-evaluated tomorrow.