Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano returned to the lineup for Thursday's pivotal matchup with the Nashville Predators.
The Flames captain was sidelined for the team's last 10 contests with a hamstring injury, and was labeled a game-time decision for Thursday's affair.
Giordano is Calgary's defensive backbone. He's logged a team-high 23:57 of ice time per game this season and leads the club with 136 blocked shots while contributing 27 points through 54 contests.
The Flames went 6-4-0 in Giordano's absence and entered Thursday's action with a two-point lead over Nashville for the first Western Conference wild-card spot.
