Doughty rips Flames' Tkachuk, Sharks' Burns

Drew Doughty took no prisoners on Monday.

The Los Angeles Kings defenseman expressed his distaste for Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. Then he criticized San Jose Sharks blue-liner Brent Burns while praising Calgary's Mark Giordano ahead of Monday's meeting between the Kings and Flames.

"No respect for him - none," Doughty said of Tkachuk, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "I respect everyone else. I'll never talk to him off the ice. He's not respected by most of the people in the league, it's not just me - that's just a fact."

During Tkachuk's 2016-17 rookie season, he delivered an elbow to Doughty's face and received a two-game suspension. Doughty then called Tkachuk "a pretty dirty player," according to LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen.

Doughty's next target was Burns, who the rearguard clearly considers unworthy of claiming the Norris Trophy again.

"All you've got to do is watch one San Jose Sharks game and you'll see Brent Burns get beat three times a game, literally, and everybody has him up for the Norris. I just don't get it," Doughty said, according to Sportsnet's Ryan Leslie.

"I would want Giordano on my team before I'd want those points guys," Doughty continued. "Giordano has like 75 points or something and he plays good defense. From me, based on how I know he plays, I think he should be the front-runner."

Doughty won the Norris Trophy in 2016, and Burns was given the honor the following year.

Burns entered Monday's action leading all defensemen with 77 points in 75 games, while Giordano ranked second at the position with 72 in two fewer contests.

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