A series of big hits and dirty plays marred an otherwise competitive game between the Wild and Flames in Calgary on Thursday night.
Calgary won 2-0 and in the final minute Flames tough guy Ryan Lomberg left the bench and attacked Wild defenseman Matt Dumba following Dumba’s open-ice hit on Mikael Backlund.
Lomberg tackled Dumba and then sucker-punched him in the side of the head while he was down, a cheap shot that Lomberg has been suspended one game for. He has another hearing scheduled for Friday that could result in a lengthier suspension since he came off the bench to attack Dumba.
Flames head coach Bill Peters was also fined $10,000 for sending Lomberg into the game allegedly for the sole purpose of going after Dumba.
Here’s video of the incident.
Dumba was not penalized for his high hit, but Elias Lindholm of the Flames thought it was a dirty play.
“I think it’s showing no respect for the player and for the game,” Lindholm said, via TSN. “They’re down 2-0 and there’s 40 seconds left and I thought he left his feet a little.”
Meanwhile, Flames captain Mark Giordano has a hearing scheduled Friday with NHL safety officials who are reviewing his hit that injured Wild forward Mikko Koivu.
The hit, or better described as a trip, was called just over six minutes into the third period. Giordano appeared to stick out his leg to make contact with Koivu, who left the game with a lower-body injury and did not return.
According to @NHLPlayerSafety: Mark Giordano of the #Flames will have a hearing today for kneeing #mnwild's Mikko Koivu during last night's game.
Suspension worthy? #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/t9SB3ASIBs
— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) December 7, 2018
