Reggie Jackson was once called "the straw that stirred the drink" when he joined the New York Yankees in 1977. Well, OK, Jackson called himself that. But he was the center of attention, the player that made his team go and the focus of both fans, media and opposing players.
The Philadelphia Flyers have a player like that on their roster this season—captain Claude Giroux.
Giroux is the one player the Flyers cannot do without. He makes the players around him better. Opposing teams try their best to stop him and still can't find a way to do it. When Giroux plays well, the Flyers usually win. When he has an off game, the Flyers often struggle.
How valuable is the Flyers captain to the team? In the 19 games Giroux has scored at least one goal, the Flyers are 16-2-1. When he doesn't put the puck in the net, Philadelphia's record is a much more pedestrian 16-22-5.
But right now, Giroux's value to the team goes beyond his point totals. As Anthony SanFilippo said on the team's official website after Sunday's comeback win over the Washington Capitals, "(the) team plays like he (Giroux) plays – with his hair o ...
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Article written by Brad Kurtzberg
Why Claude Giroux Is the Lynchpin for the Philadelphia Flyers’ Success
March 3rd, 2014 by Brad Kurtzberg Leave a reply »
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