The Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks are officially in a war of words.
With the two teams set to square off Thursday in Game 1 of their opening-round playoff series, Flames general manager Brad Treliving took the opportunity to fire back at Ducks brethren Bob Murray for remarks made last Friday.
"There were obviously some comments after last game," Treliving told Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald. "But for someone to suggest that Mark Giordano is a dirty player and that was an intentional hit, obviously I think those are asinine comments."
Those "asinine comments" came from Murray, who sounded off to reporters after the Flames captain wasn't penalized for a knee-on-knee hit on Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler.
"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 said Friday. "I hear how Gio is a good guy, and he's this and he's that. 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."
Murray wasn't the only member of the Ducks' front office to take a swipe at Giordano, as Ducks bench boss Randy Carlyle called it a "travesty" that the Flames defenseman wasn't whistled on the play.
Anaheim later announced Fowler sustained a knee injury that will see him miss the next two-to-six weeks and sideline him for the start of the postseason. Giordano did not receive any supplemental discipline for the incident.
The rivalry between the Ducks and Flames has heated up this season, and the distaste should carry into the postseason. The last meetup saw plenty of physical play, with 106 penalty minutes called in the third period alone.
"We're going to go into the series not worried about what's happened before," Treliving added. "I don't think making comments about opposing players ... there's a method to the madness there as to try and put something in the officials' head going into the series. But we're not focused on that."
Hockey fans hope the looming playoff series is as intense as the executives' barbs.
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