Philadelphia Flyers: Claude Giroux has picked up right where he left off

When the Philadelphia Flyers took the ice against Washington Capitals on Sunday, February 7th, it marked Claude Giroux‘s 328 consecutive game played.

Call it an ironman streak, call it the model of reliability, but whenever the Flyers have taken the ice for the better part of the last decade, fans could reliably count on the captain being there to lead the way.

Unfortunately, Giroux would not be able to extend his streak to 329, as he was placed on the league’s COVID-19 exempt list on February 9th and would miss the next two Flyers games – his first missed regular season games since the 2015-16 season. Not seeing Giroux – as well as right winger Jakub Voracek – when the Flyers returned to action against the New York Rangers was truly emblematic of the strange times we live in, and it was hard not to wonder what he would look like when he returned to the ice.

Well, Giroux has returned, and it doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat.

Philadelphia Flyers’ center Claude Giroux is playing like he never left.

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In his first game back against the Rangers, Claude Giroux had three assists and a +/- of 2; his stat line in the last five games he has played in. He also had an above-average time on ice of 20:54, dispelling any concerns that his time away would decrease his stamina or that he’d need extra time to get back to full strength.

The Philadelphia Flyers were on a two-game losing streak while Giroux was away, and while he doesn’t deserve all of the credit for the Flyers’ 4-3 win over the Rangers, it was nice to see his return come with a victory, and for the Flyers to not fall under the longest losing streak of the season so far.

In fact, after his second game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Flyers have started a new winning streak with a 3-0 shutout versus Taylor Hall and company.

Giroux himself was less involved in this win, getting a +/- of 1 with 18:10 on the ice. Still, it was great to see him with the team, and while his consecutive game streak is only at two, his total games played has now topped the legendary Bill Barber as the second-highest in Flyers’ history at 904.

There’s no doubt about it, Giroux is an integral part of the Flyers’ identity, and his presence and performance are a big part of the team. With the COVID-19 exemption behind him, hopefully, he can keep being that important piece of the roster – and maybe score some more goals – moving forward.

And hey, who knows, maybe this will mark the start of another ironman streak that could see Giroux best Bobby Clarke for the most games played in Flyers’ history. That would be fun to see.

dark. Next. Could Ron Hextall come back to haunt the Flyers?

In the 2020-21 NHL season, COVID-related setbacks are common and seemingly inevitable, but what matters is how the players and teams react to these setbacks and do their best to soldier on. Claude Giroux’s return is a great example of that, but what else should one really expect from the Philadelphia Flyers’ resident ironman?

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