The Philadelphia Flyers lost their captain on the first day of training camp last week. Claude Giroux suffered a "lower-body injury" which would keep him on the shelf for at least two weeks. While that would get Giroux back in the lineup right about at the start of the regular season, it still has a definite effect on the Flyers both in the short run and over the long haul.
First, if Giroux is not skating in camp or playing in preseason games, the Flyers cannot audition players to fill the third and final spot on the top line alongside the captain and Jakub Voracek. Obviously, the best way to tell who is the best fit on the top line is to give each candidate ice time with Giroux and Voracek and see who has chemistry with the top duo. That plan is now on hold.
This makes it more likely that coach Craig Berube may continue to experiment with various combinations throughout the early part of the regular season. That may slow down the Flyers offense.
Giroux's absence from the lineup also opens up the issue of a potential slow start to the season for Philadelphia's captain. As a result of two or more weeks of inactivity, G ...
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Article written by Brad Kurtzberg
Analyzing How Claude Giroux’s Injury Is Affecting Flyers Training Camp
September 22nd, 2014 by Brad Kurtzberg Leave a reply »
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