Philadelphia Flyers: Oh Captain, My Captain?

Over the past couple of years, Philadelphia Flyers Captain Claude Giroux has been the subject of hate from a good amount of fans. Should he be hated in this city?

“Trade Giroux, he stinks in the playoffs.” “Strip the C from him, he isn’t worthy enough to be the captain.” “He isn’t a top ten forward in the NHL.” These are just some of the ideas that the common fan of the Philadelphia Flyers has used the past couple of years when talking about Claude Giroux.

This past season, I was lucky enough to attend the first round of the Eastern Conference playoff, specifically game 6 at the Wells Fargo Center. Every time Giroux didn’t score or even touched the puck, fans would yell these things towards the ice.

As I sat there and enjoyed my first ever playoff hockey game in Philadelphia, I wondered what Giroux ever did or did not do to deserve this type of slander being used towards him. I did some research to see if he deserved to be treated like this by the fans and I simply could not find any reason for fans to do so. If anything all of my research has pointed towards the direction that Claude Giroux should be one of the greatest athletes to ever step foot in Philadelphia.

1. Claude Giroux has the most points out of everyone in the NHL over the last 6 years.

This alone can prove that he is a top 10 forward in the league today. It proves that Giroux has been nothing less than a consistent point producer at a high clip. Even with the roster that he has had the last couple of years, he still puts up 60-80 points. Yes, Giroux hasn’t won a scoring title but the fact he is still very consistent offensively with the likes of Michael Raffl and Chris Vandevelde (at times) on his line the past few years is pretty amazing.

2. Giroux has 62 points out of 63 career games played in the playoffs.

This past postseason was a rough one for the Flyers, you have to take into account that they ran into the best team going into the playoffs and the Flyers weren’t even supposed to be there. Besides that, Giroux has been a playoff producer for the Philadelphia Flyers. Here’s a little reminder of what G is capable of on the big stage.

3. Over the last 5 years, Giroux has been in the top 5 for faceoff percentage every single year.

The man knows how to win faceoffs, it’s as simple as that. A good player becomes a great player if they can add multiple facets to their game and Giroux has done that. He is one of the better all-around players in the league and him being a monster in the faceoff circle only proves this.

4. Giroux should not be stripped of the captaincy.

There is only one play that cements his captaincy for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Giroux showed everything you want in a captain during that series. G produced offensively, he stood up for his teammates, and he was ultimately clutch. Giroux has continued that way of play since that series in 2012 and will continue to for the foreseeable future. If the Philadelphia Flyers went by the type of player the fans want then Zac Rinaldo should have been our captain. He is the longest tenured Philadelphia Flyer and he seems like the type of player to retire here.

The Final Thought

The only reason that can be why Giroux is so undervalued in the public eye the last couple of years is that he isn’t doing enough. Just take a minute and realize the roster around him the last couple of years. You can’t blame Giroux for their roster being so talent-less and even with the roster being talent-less he still proves himself to be a top player in the league. You also can’t say the effort isn’t there because it is.

Next: Flyers: Dreams, Expectations, and Reality

If you watch any Flyers game he always skates hard, he uses his body, and he never shies away from a challenge. He literally has all the qualities that a player needs to be loved in the city of Philadelphia.

Yet for some reason, fans don’t embrace him as much as they should. Its like when you haven’t seen anyone for a while and you engage in an awkward half hug, that’s they way Philadelphians embrace Claude Giroux. The man deserves much more credit and respect for what he has done for this city and for the Philadelphia Flyers.

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