You can't convince me every single one of Girard's turnovers aren't him going back for pucks, getting there, then faintly swiping at it to avoid any contact and giving it up to the forechecker.
Walker is going to take his minutes in the playoffs. I am certain of it.
FYI I moved the post you're responding to, to the post above this, but you're absolutely right.
I just had this conversation with
@expatriatedtexan about how this exact thing will be a test for Girard in the playoffs, because teams will target him by dumping the puck into his corner, and then send a heavy forecheck at him, sometimes with multiple guys, knowing he struggled with it against Vegas, and knowing his body may not be able to take the punishment.
This is how he broke his sternum too. They timed a slow dump in so that he would get to the puck behind the net right when Barbashev could line him up for a big hit.
They'll have to go through some physical teams like the Preds, Canucks, and Knights, who were just 2nd, 5th, and 9th in the NHL in hits/60 the other day, and they can all skate with the Avs to an extent.
He'll have to really be on his game, reacting and turning quickly to retrieve dump ins, keeping his feet moving, and making good passes under pressure.
The way G handled the heavy forecheck of Nashville early on in this game though shows reason for concern, because he did exactly what you said a few times, turning the puck over after seeing/hearing footsteps, and it resulted in some dangerous chances against.
