The Minnesota Wild are on high alert for the possibility of the Calgary Flames looking for revenge when the two teams play Friday night.
The last time they played, a Nov. 15 win for the Flames, the Wild were accused of playing dirty when Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary’s best player, left the game with a fractured finger.
Flames GM Brad Treliving took it up with the league office but nothing came of what he thought were 10 unpenalized whacks on Gaudreau. The 11th slash broke his finger, forcing him into surgery and six weeks on the shelf.
… red dots are going to be on a few guys to make sure they let them know we didn’t like what went on …
“We’re not naïve – do we whack guys, too? Probably, Treliving said Nov. 17, via the Calgary Sun. “But the frustration comes when that turns into a player being out for an extended period of time.”
#mnwild has recalled Kurtis Gabriel. Sign it may be expecting a chippy game tomorrow after Johnny Gaudreau's injury last meeting
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) December 1, 2016
Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan doesn’t think revenge is on anyone’s mind, although plenty of Calgary players told the Calgary Sun this week that they’re putting an emphasis on finishing checks.
“The red dots are going to be on a few guys to make sure they let them know we didn’t like what went on, but I think that will be internally in the room, Gulutzan said.”
Wild center Eric Staal could be their primary target. It’s his slash Calgary believes broke Gaudreau’s finger.
“If you watch hockey it was an accident. If you play hockey you know the gloves are made out of nothing now,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said Thursday. “Eric Staal … if you think he’s a dirty player that’s going for Gaudreau’s hand then we’re all mistaken. I think it was a crazy allegation.”
Boudreau and the Wild will be ready for anything.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” he said.
