Flames defenceman Gilbert okay after injury scare versus Predators
It seems that Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Gilbert avoided any serious injury last night.
The 27-year-old appeared to have suffered a serious injury late in last night’s game after taking a dirty slew foot from Nashville Predators forward Phil Tomasino. Gilbert fell awkwardly upon taking the hit, with his head being driven into the ice. After laying motionless on the ice for several minutes, he was helped to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.
Flames defenseman Dennis Gilbert takes a nasty fall, it looks like right onto his head. He laid motionless on the ice for some time. Trainers on the ice attending to him now. pic.twitter.com/nOzSZWsNdx
— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) January 5, 2024
Given how long Gilbert remained down, it seemed like a trip to the injured reserve was likely. While that may still be the case, head coach Ryan Huska had a positive update on him when speaking with reporters postgame.
“I see him moving around now, so I think he’s going to be fine,” Huska said. “He’s just going to have to go through [concussion] protocol, is what I would assume right now.”
Tomasino was assessed a five-minute major on the play, though not everyone agreed with the call. Predators head coach Andrew Brunette was understanding but surprised that it remained a five-minute penalty after the officials had time to review it.
“I just got [that] they thought it was,” Brunette said. “They reviewed it. Obviously, to see a player down [is something] you never want to see in our game. I felt it was a hockey hit but you don’t want to see anyone in that position so I understand what they were thinking.”
Despite the unfortunate incident, the Flames were able to walk away with a 6-3 win in what served as their third-straight victory. They will look to keep the good times rolling Saturday afternoon in a road battle versus the Philadelphia Flyers.
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