Giroux getting Selke talk!

[Tripod]

For those who don't go to the main boards much:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=741159

"Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers -- Giroux doesn't have the reputation that other two-way centers like Bergeron, Jonathan Toews and Anze Kopitar possess, but he's having a fantastic season. While his possession stats are not among the League leaders at a basic level, he is a top-five forward in both Corsi- and Fenwick-for percentage relative to his team's average at even strength.

He's also doing that despite having started the third-most shifts in the defensive zone among forwards with at least 200 minutes of even-strength ice time. The only players with more than Giroux's 152 are Boyd Gordon and Matt Hendricks of the Edmonton Oilers. Few players are shifting the territorial battle as well as Giroux, and he's an integral part of the team's penalty-killing efforts."

Nice to see!

Click to read more...

 

[OrangeAndBlackMetal]

Kind of irritating. Don't get me wrong, it's cool he's being talked about, but it just proves that these awards are stat based and will always be won by star players who put points and not actually by the best defensive forward or the best defenseman etc.

 

[Funf]

Kind of irritating. Don't get me wrong, it's cool he's being talked about, but it just proves that these awards are stat based and will always be won by star players who put points and not actually by the best defensive forward or the best defenseman etc.

I agree, but Giroux's defensive play has been great so far this year, just based on the eye test.

 

[Appleyard]

He has been as good this year defensively as any year since 2010-11 tbh. I think 2009-11 was the last time he played this well in his own zone.

But still... I love Giroux and I am glad his good D is finally being acknowledged... but in a career year defensively there would be still ~15 other players I would take ahead of him for the Selke easily.

 

[BillDineen]

I like G as much as anyone, but he is a great offensive player and a very good PKer. His line gets pinned too often in their own zone for me to think of him as a Selke caliber defensively even strength.