The last time we saw Flyers captain Claude Giroux, he was lying prone on the ice at Arizona’s Gila River Arena after absorbing an ugly-looking hit from behind courtesy of the Coyotes' Martin Hanzal and slamming his head against the boards late in the third period Saturday night.
And while he didn’t officially participate in Monday’s optional morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center, Giroux, in shorts and a T-shirt, did his normal stretches and exercises in the arena hallways.
The main question when he met with the media was obvious: Will he play Monday night against the visiting Winnipeg Jets?
“I’m playing tonight,” Giroux said confidently.
“I feel good. It wasn’t a fun incident, but I was lucky I felt pretty good.”
It was an especially scary incident because it looked like Giroux, the Flyers’ leading scorer with 21 goals and 41 assists (62 points), was knocked out cold on the ice with his eyes closed before getting up and skating for a bit before heading to the locker room.
Hanzal was assessed a major penalty for boarding on the play and a game misconduct. But the Flyers could cash in only once, and time expired with the Coyotes' taking a 2-1 decision, as the Flyers could not take advantage of a golden opportunity to earn precious points.
NHL
After the game, though, much of the focus was on the Giroux incident, which came after he missed three games last month following an elbow to the head from Montreal’s P.K. Subban.
“I was a little shaken up,” Giroux said. “But I gained the rest and I feel pretty good. It’s not obviously how I wanted to finish the game there. I think it was safe to make sure that I got off the ice there.
“I feel fine. I don’t think there was even a question of me playing tonight. I feel good. … I’m good to go.”
The Flyers come into Monday evening deadlocked with the Detroit Red Wings at 85 points in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers sit above the Red Wings right now because the Flyers have a game in hand.
Both teams are in action Monday as the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres at Joe Louis Arena.
By virtue of their win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, the New York Islanders are four points up on both the Flyers and the Red Wings for the first wild-card spot in the East.
Needless to say, Monday’s game against the lowly Jets, who are among the worst teams in the league with just 68 points, is one the Flyers need to have.
But then again, we’ve been saying that about every game for a while now, and will continue to do so for the next two weeks.
So that’s why Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol finds it reassuring to have his best player in the lineup for Monday’s game.
“Obviously, you want to have you best players available," he said. "It’s nice to know that he’s good to go.”
The ‘machines’ keep going
Even after a tough trip of four games in six nights and a cross-country flight home from Arizona on Sunday, the Flyers said Monday they feel fresh and fatigue is non-existent.
“Feeling great,” Wayne Simmonds said. “We don’t have time to feel bad right now. I think everyone’s spirits are up and everyone is looking forward to tonight.
“I think we’ve been playing strong mentally and physically. I think if we keep an even keel and go about our business, it’s kind of like we’re machines. We check in every day and we do everything the way we’ve been doing it.”
Hakstol said he doesn’t worry too much about his players' having energy because he trusts that they take of themselves and know how to manage the tight schedule.
“The guys know what’s best for their bodies on a day like today,” he said. “It’s game day today. Guys wake up in the morning and know that they need to do to be ready at the drop of the puck tonight."
The Flyers have four games in seven days this week, including a back-to-back weekend set against the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins. That’s the first of three back-to-backs in the season’s final two weeks.
Goalie outlook
Steve Mason was in the typical starter’s net during morning skate. So it sure looks like he’ll start his sixth straight game Monday and his 11th in the last 12 contests.
“He’s sharp and he’s energized,” Hakstol said of his goaltender. “I’ll keep it short. That’s what I see.”
Mason was excellent on the road trip, stopping 121 of 128 shots faced. Of course, that career-high 51-save performance against Columbus was mixed in there.
Ondrej Pavelec will start for Winnipeg.