The Capitals face a Philadelphia Flyers team at Verizon Center on Tuesday night that will be without star center Claude Giroux. The 23-year-old, who leads the entire NHL with 39 points, was clipped in the back of the head by teammate Wayne Simmonds’ knee on Saturday night during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Giroux left that contest immediately and did not return. The Flyers hoped he would make it through without symptoms. Those were dashed relatively quickly.
“Claude reported not feeling very good today,” Philadelphia general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement issued by the team on Tuesday. “Over the past few days, his symptoms have gradually gotten worse. He will be out indefinitely with a concussion”
Recommended Stories
In a sport where star Sidney Crosby missed 10 months, made a triumphant return and now is down again with concussion symptoms, these incidents have to chill league officials. There is no timetable for Giroux’s return. But to have the best player on the Eastern Conference’s top team so far this season missing games with a head injury is another blow. Yet, it’s one the Flyers are used to.
this team has been stepping up for sure. Guys that have asked to play different roles have been doing really well. You look at Marshall and Bourdon, what they’ve been doing is pretty good.
Philadelphia has had 68 man games missed due to injury. Star defenseman Chris Pronger (knee surgery, concussion) has appeared in just 13 games this season. Defenseman Andreas Lilja has missed six games. Even Jaromir Jagr, now 39 and thriving after three years in the KHL in Russia, has missed four games with a reported groin injury. Compare that to the Caps, who have 73 man games lost, but that total is made up of defenseman Mike Green (ankle, groin) – a big loss, for sure – defenseman John Erskine, who spent the first month still recovering from summer shoulder surgery, and expected fourth-line forward Jay Beagle (concussion). Not counting preseason injuries here like Tom Poti for Washington or Ian Laperriere (concussion) and Blair Betts (knee) for the Flyers. Those players have each been on long-term injured reserve the entire season.
“Maybe it’s more who we’re losing than the number of games,” Philadelphia forward Max Talbot said. “Obviously when you’re missing your captain then you’re missing G, we missed Jags for a little bit, Lilja, it’s tough to lose guys like that, but
One more injury for the Flyers: Rookie center Brayden Schenn has now missed 12 games with a broken foot and – more recently after just two games back – a concussion. Can’t seem to get away from them these days.
“I think you guys look for an exact science to this like an actual announcement and I don’t think there are those,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said of Giroux’s concussion diagnoses. “I think that these things are evaluated and determined.”
Follow me on Twitter @bmcnally14
