Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Already up 2-0 in their series against the Flames, the Ducks had another positive development ahead of Monday’s Game 3.

Cam Fowler, who’s been sidelined with a knee injury following a hit from Calgary captain Mark Giordano, resumed skating and met with the media this afternoon.

Fowler hasn’t played since Apr. 4 and, at the time of the injury, the Ducks said he’d be sidelined for 2-6 weeks. His return certainly appears to be on the early side. Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle said the 25-year-old “is on pace to be available to us shortly.”

Stream Ducks vs. Flames on NBC Sports

Getting Fowler back would be huge for the Ducks, though the club’s defensive depth has been impressive. In Saturday’s 3-2 win, Anaheim was down the services of Fowler and Sami Vatanen, and forced to rely on a young quartet of Hampus Lindholm (26:33 TOI), Brandon Montour (21:16), Josh Manson (20:51) and Shea Theodore (20:03).

Manson is the oldest guy of that group, and he’s 25 years old.

As for the hit that sidelined Fowler?

Well, he wasn’t biting.

“It’s something that’s in the past,” he said, per the O.C. Register. “Honestly, I don’t really want to get into the hit too much.”

Fowler might not want to get into it, but others certainly have. Ducks GM Bob Murray ripped into Giordano and accused him of being a dirty player with a history of knee-on-knee hits. That was followed by a retort from Flames GM Brad Treliving, who called Murray’s comments “asinine.”

Ducks fans got in on the action, too. Giordano was booed almost every time he touched the puck in Games 1 and 2.