Nick Piccone
Last night after Villanova defeated Kansas to win a trip to the Final Four, the Flyers were in the midst of trying to put some distance between them and the Detroit Red Wings for the last Wild Card spot in the NHL playoffs. The Flyers currently hold the tiebreaker and have one game in hand over the Red Wings, and the stars seemed to be lined up for the Flyers to be able to take care of business against the Arizona Coyotes, a not so good hockey team.
As we are all too familiar with, the Flyers generally play up to their competition, but they also have a knack for playing down to it, as well. Despite Detroit being destroyed by the Penguins earlier in the day, the Flyers couldn’t capitalize in Glendale as they fell to the Coyotes, 2-1. But the more important aspect coming out of the game was the health of Claude Giroux, who was knocked out of the game with what looked like a head injury late in the third period from Coyotes center, Martin Hanzal.
And from the side of the Coyotes announcers:
Here’s the thing – I don’t think it was a terrible hit. Oh man, how blasphemous, right? But Giroux was in an awkward position, admittedly off-balance, as he told the media after the game, and it looked more like the brunt of him hitting the ice after hitting the boards caused the damage.
Of course, it’s easy for me to say that from this position. But it’s just as easy for everyone out there to say what a dirty and malicious hit it was and how Giroux was “out cold” afterward. He wasn’t. Was he selling it? Maybe, but I think he was just stunned a bit and stayed down to gather himself before getting up. If he was knocked unconscious, then he got up in record timing. And to get up that quickly from a head injury like that? I don’t know. I don’t think it’s as bad as some of the people in Philly are making it out to be.
However, what Hanzal said after the game either is meant for him to try and make himself look cool to Coyote fans or make himself feel macho about the whole situation. Or both.
Craig Morgan of 98.7 FM Arizona Sports tweeted a quote from Hanzal which he’s since deleted. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a screenshot of it and can’t find anyone that has, but this was the gist: “You go after our captain, we’ll go after yours.” Morgan deleted it, admitted the quote didn’t sound good, but didn’t say why he deleted it.
Listening to Hanzal's quote again, he was talking about all that came after the hit on Doan so it's ambiguous, but it doesn't sound good.
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) March 27, 2016
Like, come on, dude. You didn’t even go after Giroux, really. You pushed him. Big macho man guy you are, bro. There’s zero chance Hanzal was “going after” Giroux at that moment with two minutes and change left in the game with the Flyers sporting an extra attacker down 2-0. I don’t think Hanzal’s that stupid. If it was Zac Rinaldo, then we’d be having a different conversation.
According to Sam Carchidi, Giroux is feeling “pretty good.”
Coyote fans – and I’m sure fans of other teams who don’t like the Flyers – will point at this hit earlier that same period from Radko Gudas to Shane Doan where his follow through took his side and elbow into Doan’s head against the boards.
https://vimeo.com/160499776
That hit doesn’t look good, either. In fact, I’d be willing to say there was more malicious intent in Gudas’ hit than Hanzal’s. And, I have to admit, I agree with the Coyotes’ coach:
Someone should explain to me how one is a five-minute and one is not,” Tippett said. “The hit on Doan is a blatant attempt (to injure). After Shane’s on the wall… it’s the elbow and the hip and looking down at Shane’s head with a guy who has had a history of that.”
Either way, the Flyers didn’t even muster a point out of last night’s game, and that’s the most important thing. They scored a goal after Giroux’s injury, and almost had a great scoring chance as regulation was winding down. Wayne Simmonds was sent off, so he wasn’t on the ice, either. If Giroux and Simmonds were on the ice, could the outcome have been different? Very possible.
The Flyers return home tomorrow against the Winnipeg Jets at 7:00 P.M. Hopefully their playoff push will get back on track.