Flames lose game, star defenceman Giordano

The Calgary Flames, if they fancy themselves a playoff contender, can’t afford to lose to a cellar-dweller.

They really, really can’t afford to lose their captain and workhorse defenceman to injury.

In that case, Tuesday could be turn out to be a doublewhammy.

It’s bad enough the Flames couldn’t manage to claim a victory against the struggling San Jose Sharks, falling 3-1 to a squad that was sitting secondlast in the Western Conference and operating without their top two forwards.

It’s worse that Mark Giordano exited during the second period and did not return due to a lower-body issue.

There was no further update post-game.

“It’s potentially a huge loss,” said interim head coach Geoff Ward, who told reporters that he’d yet to chat with the Flames’ medical staff. “We’ll worry about things as they unfold. Right now, it’s all speculation, so we’ll wait and see what the doctors say and we’ll go from there. But potentially, it’s a huge loss.”

Indeed, Giordano might be the last guy the Flames can do without in the race for playoff spots in the tightly-packed Pacific Division.

This team has had their share of defensive misadventures this season. Without their most reliable rearguard, they could really be in trouble.

Giordano was injured with six-plus minutes to go in Tuesday’s second period, stretching awkwardly as he tried to fire a one-timer and nearly doing the splits as he fell to the ice.