When it was determined that team captain and top defenceman Mark Giordano had suffered a broken ankle, the Calgary Flames expected the injury to create a significant hole in their lineup. And they were hoping to do a better job of filling it than they have thus far.

Giordano, who broke his ankle while blocking a shot in the Flames’ 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 21, has missed four straight games heading into Friday’s tilt with the Red Wings, and is expected to be on the injured reserve for the next 6 to 8 weeks.

Calgary’s best shut-down blueliner, now in his eighth season with the Flames, has been a staple on the team’s back end for the past several years. Mark Giordano’s average ice time of 25:03 through eight games this season is second only to Dennis Wideman’s average of 28:15 through 12 games. Giordano’s leadership both on and off the ice has been crucial for the rebuilding Flames in the early stages of the season, while his two goals and nine points is still tops among Calgary’s D-men.

The Flames, meanwhile, are 1-3-0 in their captain’s absence. They have surrendered 15 goals over the course of those four games, many of them a direct result of being routinely outplayed in the defensive zone. Well-executed passing plays have confounded Calgary’s defenders on multiple occasions, while opposing forwards have outworked and out-skated them with alarming regularity. The Flames’ defence has also been guilty of several dangerous give-ways in their own zone, while Calgary’s crease has looked like a contested battleground as other teams impose their will on a defensive corps that seems lost in its own zone. The Flames’ power play has also suffered with Giordano on the shelf, going 0-for-13 in the last four games and surrendering two short-handed goals to the Maple Leafs in a 4-2 loss.

But while the Flames’ power play has stalled and their defensive play has been less than exemplary, Calgary’s blueliners have been doing a surprisingly impressive job on the offensive side of the puck while at even strength. When they do manage to get the puck in their own zone, the Flames’ breakout game has looked quite healthy, thanks largely to smart plays from their defencemen. Their transitional play and offensive zone entry have also been stable, again due in large part to intelligent puck-moving from the defence. Calgary is also continuing to get offensive contribution from the blue line: the seven defencemen that have suited up for the Flames in Giordano’s absence have nine assists and 52 shots between them. 26-year-old Kris Russell, who has seen his ice time increase significantly since Giordano’s injury, has been a particularly pleasant surprise, with four points in his last four games.

While the defence has been searching for consistency, several of the Flames’ veteran forwards are doing what they can to lead by example. Matt Stajan and Curtis Glencross have shown good chemistry over the Flames’ last few contests, and both of them enter Friday’s matchup against Detroit riding multi-game point streaks. Though he has been kept off the score-sheet in three of the Flames’ games without Giordano, Mike Cammalleri had a pair of goals and three points in last Saturday’s 5-2 victory over Washington in only his fifth appearance of the young season. And although it marks a drop in his production thus far, Jiri Hudler, whose 13 points currently lead all Flames, has managed to continue chipping in from a currently-stagnant third line with two points since the team lost its captain.

A tough start to their five-game Pacific road trip had the Flames trending downwards prior to Giordano breaking his ankle against Los Angeles, and his injury will make it that much harder for the team to stop the bleeding. When head coach Bob Hartley first learned of the severity of Giordano’s injury, he stated that his team would need a collective effort from the entire roster to fill the gap left by their leader. So far, Calgary’s offensive performance has shown that they are at least attempting to carry their coach’s philosophy onto the ice, but their defensive play has revealed just how far they still have to go. And if the Flames don’t find a way to play a complete game without their best shut-down player soon, Cowtown is in for a rough ride.

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