The Philadelphia Flyers Captain has been playing very well for the team as of late, which is precisely what they need in a crucial playoff push.
Whether you love him or hate him (you should 100% love this man, btw), there’s no denying that Claude Giroux wasn’t having his most productive season offensively for the Philadelphia Flyers a few weeks back. Prior to the All-Star Break, the NHL veteran had 35 points in 50 games, putting him on-pace for his lowest scoring total since 2012-13 or 2009-10 when counting 82-game only seasons. There was some speculation at that time that maybe 13 years of playing at the highest level of hockey was beginning to take its’ toll on the Ontario native but hoo boy, has that been put to rest with G’s play recently.
Giroux’s been on a roll since the start of February, netting a whopping 12 points in all ten games of the month so far while going scoreless in just three of those ten contests. He’s also been putting together quite the point streak during that span, extending it to seven games with a goal in Thursday’s overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road. The Captain is now on track for his third straight 60+ point campaign and fourth in his last five years, which is closer to the offensive output we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Giroux throughout his NHL tenure.
The 32-year-old is also coming alive at an absolutely perfect time for the Orange and Black. Philadelphia’s in the midst of a heated Eastern Conference playoff battle in which they hold a two-point lead over Columbus and a three-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders for third in the Metro. They’re just five points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals for first, too, showing just how tight things are in the division. It would be a huge boost for the Flyers if Giroux could continue to score at his current .77 point-per-game rate through season’s end, as it’d help them tremendously on offense and hopefully lead to a postseason berth at the end of March or in April.
While G likely won’t be able to keep this point streak afloat for the next 20+ games, it’s still been great to see the 32-year-old return to his dominant form in the attacking zone and be at the forefront of some excellent Flyers hockey this month.