Ducks lose Cam Fowler to knee injury after painful hit

The Anaheim Ducks are headed to the playoffs again with high hopes for a deeper playoff run for once.

They might’ve been dashed a little on Tuesday.

Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler went down with a painful knee injury in the third period when Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano landed a late hip check on him.

As you can see, that hip check devolved into a really awkward knee-on-knee collision. Fowler sprawled on the ice in pain, writhing behind the Calgary Flames net as trainers tended to him. He left and didn’t immediately return, and isn’t likely to.

A longterm injury for Fowler hurts both him and the Ducks. Fowler, an unrestricted free agent this summer, shed trade rumors and emerged as the Ducks’ best defenseman this season. It’s possible a major knee injury could affect his market value somehow, and it goes without saying the Ducks will struggle to advance in the postseason without him.