Claude Giroux’s sensational season had been placed on hold recently due to a concussion he received on December 10th from teammate Wayne Simmonds; but Giroux built up enough of a points lead that he entered last night’s game tied for first place with 39 points.
Even with still being tied for the points lead, Giroux took last night’s game as he would any other game and excelled in his first game back from the concussion. Giroux led the Flyers with 4 big points in the 4-1 victory over a tough Dallas Stars. And he could probably take another game or two off if that’s his desire after his sensational return.
That effort places Giroux all alone in first place with 43 points in just 29 games. It was no accident, either, as it seemed like his line created a scoring chance on almost every shift. Claude Giroux is on pace for 48 goals and 73 assists this year; 121 points and he’s got 17 goals and 26 assists in the first 29 games giving him that 43 points.
The nearly inevitable Sidney Crosby comparisons continue, but that’s not a horrible thing in this case. The good comparison is that Giroux matched Crosby’s four points in a concussion comeback. Hopefully he won’t match the bad parallel of getting hurt again soon after, though.
Giroux’s lone goal on the night may not have looked the best; but it proved yet again that this young star sparks the whole Flyers team who didn’t look back after that goal and stood by goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky to come up with a much needed win in Dallas. The Flyers next game is scheduled for Friday, December 23rd in New York where they will face their Winter Classic rival, the Rangers. The true test for Giroux and the Flyers will come about this weekend in New York.
