The defenceman was assessed a minor penalty on the play, which the league referred to as "kneeing" prior to Friday's disciplinary telephone hearing.

Giordano was suspended Friday by the NHL for two games following a tripping incident involving Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu at 6:17 of the third period of Thursday's 2-0 victory at home.

The Flames will be without captain Mark Giordano, second-line centre Mikael Backlund and the recently-recalled Ryan Lomberg when the Nashville Predators pay a visit to the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday night.

Lomberg reacted after Backlund had absorbed an open-ice hit from Wild defenceman Matt Dumba with 43 seconds left in the game.

He will serve an automatic one-game sanction for being the instigator of a fight in the final five minutes of regulation and was assessed an additional game.

Backlund left the ice immediately following the Dumba hit and is sidelined for an undetermined period with an "upper body injury."

Koivu also departed immediately following the incident with Giordano.

"You never want to see anybody injured. Never. Never," said Flames' GM Brad Treliving. "Mikko Koivu is a pro and has been a helluva player for a long time in this league.

"Our feeling is there was no intent to injure. They see the play differently than we do. Gio, 13 years in the league, never been suspended. Plays the game hard, plays it honest.

"So we have a different view on that.

"You can't argue Lomberg, at all. Ryan is doing what he felt necessary. He's there trying to come to the aid of a teammate he thought was taken advantage of.

"I get that.

"But the rule is written very clearly for the last five minutes of a game. So while I understand Ryan's intent, I also understand that the rule is the rule.

"At the end of the day, we respect the (Giordano) decision, we understand how difficult the job is, and will live by it. But we disagree.

"It's just hard, going back to the Chicago game, when Travis (Hamonic) takes an elbow to the face that might've warranted further discipline.

"(Chris) Kunitz was given a five-minute major on that play. Fortunately Travis wasn't injured in that situation.

"I want to protect our players, too."

The Flames, on a 8-1-1 run in their last 10 games, will now focus on Saturday's game against the Predators.

"Our focus is getting ready for a real good team in Nashville,'' said Treliving. "We don't look at it as losing two players but three, with Backs out.

"But that's the reality. I want to make it clear: The league does a very thorough job. They make decisions and we live by them and we move on.

"But we don't have to always agree with them.

"We don't have any control over these decisions. What we do have control over is going out and playing hard Saturday. We've got some adversity in front out us now.

"So we deal with it."