It was late in the 2nd period of Sunday’s Flyers vs Devils match-up, and the Devils were up 3-2. Emotions were running high as the high energy Flyers looked to continue their trend of emotional comebacks and tie the series 2-2. But for one Flyer, emotions ran too high. After a botched call on the other end of the ice, Flyers center and resident superstar Claude Giroux bolted down the ice after the puck. Looking to make a play, Giroux went after Dainius Zubrus, first leading with a stick chop and then delivering a blow to the head. As a result, Giroux was hit with a 1 game suspension that leaves the Flyers without their biggest play-maker for Tuesday night’s game 5. The 1 game ban has many Flyers fans in outrage as they claim incidental contact, and Giroux is by no means a dirty player, but the fact remains that he went after a player who no longer had the puck, and hit him in the head. The league is making an attempt to clean up some of the hits and protect the players, so Giroux’s, as well as many other’s, suspension serves as a warning to the rest of the league. Giroux has become just another name in the long line of players suspended this NHL playoff series. Keep and eye out for the Flyers on Tuesday night as they look to rebound from recent losses and bring themselves back in the series, and don’t be surprised if the talented young team pulls out a victory and takes this series to game 6.
